Egypt President Dr Mohamed Morsi visits Pakistan; General election to the National Assembly to be held on May 11; Retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso appointed interim PM of Pakistan; Musharraf makes a comeback to Pakistan, aims at contesting in general
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    • Reports noted that Dr Morsi was on a daylong visit to Pakistan on March 18, the first by an Egyptian leader in over five decades. President Asif Ali Zardari and his Egyptian counterpart Dr Mohamed Morsi agreed to take bilateral relations “to a higher trajectory” by enhancing political contacts. The two countries will hold biennial summits to intensify political interaction. A joint statement issued at the end of Dr Morsi’s visit said the two leaders had “agreed that high-level political interaction and exchanges are vital to take their relations to a higher trajectory” and fulfil their desire for a “new and glorious chapter of bilateral relations”. The Foreign Office described Dr Morsi’s visit as a “watershed and a landmark” in bilateral relations. 1

    In a significant development, according to reports, President Asif Ali Zardari on March 20 announced that general elections for the National Assembly shall be held on May 11, the President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. Babar stated, “The president received a summary from the government asking him to announce a suitable date for the election, so the president announced today that a general election to the National Assembly will be held on May 11,”. The National Assembly stood dissolved on completion of its constitutional term of five years on March 16. Elections will also be held for assemblies in Pakistan’s four provinces, but it was not immediately clear whether those polls will also be held on May 11. 2

    Meanwhile, reports noted that Pakistan selected a caretaker prime minister, a retired judge, to head up an interim administration to guide the country through its historic election period on March 24. Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, 84, was selected by the election commission after a parliamentary committee and rival parties failed to agree on a candidate. He comes from the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan. “We have picked Mir Hazar Khan Khoso after frankly and openly discussing all the four names forwarded to us,” chief election commissioner Fakhruddin Ibrahim told reporters in Islamabad. Khoso said that he will make sure that the elections are held on time and free and fair in nature. 3

    In another development, according to reports, former President and army Chief Pervez Musharraf made a comeback to Pakistan on Sunday. He ends his exile of almost five years after he stepped down as the President in 2008. He is returning to run for elections in May. 4

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