ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: Ignoring opposition’s threat of street protests, the Election Commission postponed general elections till February 18 on Wednesday, citing violence that erupted after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as the main reason.

“The situation arising out of the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto brought the electoral process to a complete halt all over the country, making it impossible to hold election on January 8 as per the previously announced schedule,” Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Qazi Muhammad Farooq said at a press conference here after a meeting of the EC and a ‘confidential process of consultations’ with political parties.

He appealed to political leaders to accept the new date in larger national interest and fully participate in the electoral process. He held out the assurance that the elections would be free, fair and transparent.

He said the entire process had come to a halt over the past few days, adding that EC offices in Jamshoro, Naushehro Feroze, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Badin, Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana and Thatta districts of Sindh had been set ablaze.

All election material, including voters’ lists, transparent ballot boxes and voting screens, had been reduced to ashes. He said the printing of ballot papers, providing of logistic support and training of polling staff had been adversely affected.

He said reports had been sought from the provincial governments and provincial election commissioners who expressed concern over the law and order situation and tension following the death of Ms Bhutto.

The Sindh chief secretary pointed out that the law and order situation in the province was precarious. He said the offices of DCOs, DPOs, district returning officers and returning officers had been damaged and the communication system had almost collapsed. The chief secretary said that it would not be possible to hold elections on January 8.

The Punjab chief secretary said in his report that the political atmosphere remained tense, educational institutions were closed and services of Rangers had been obtained in some districts. Saying the elections could not be conducted in such an environment, the chief secretary proposed that these might be held after Muharram.

Similarly, the NWFP chief secretary and returning officers from some constituencies requested postponement in the troubled areas.

The Balochistan government also expressed concern over the problem it was facing with regard to the appointment of staff for election duty.

Qazi Farooq said the month of Muharram was likely to commence on January 10 and law-enforcement agencies would be committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity during the holy month and, therefore, would not be available for election duty.

The CEC said that on the basis of the reports from the provinces and after informal consultations with political parties the EC had concluded that it would not be possible to hold the polls on Jan 8.

Asked which parties had favoured a postponement, he said informal consultations with the political parties were confidential in nature and their details could not be revealed.

Answering a question, he said no decision had been taken so far about deployment of army and the provinces would be consulted around the polling date.

The EC also issued a formal notification of the new date. It says: “Under Article-254 of the Constitution, when any act or thing is required to be done within a particular period and is not done during that period, the doing of the act or thing shall not be invalid or otherwise ineffective by reason only that it was not done within that period.”