Fazl says 2012 is election year

Terming the 2012, the year of new elections in the country, Chief of Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has said that his party may consider the option of resigning from the parliament in order to pave the way for early elections.Talking to editors, and senior journalists at a lunch here on Saturday, Maulana Fazl-ul;-Rehman, who is also the chairman of the parliament’s Kashmir Committee said he had conveyed a message to the PML(N) Chief, Nawaz Sharif to “sit together”, and discuss the issue.“I have conveyed message to Nawaz Sharif to sit together, and discuss the issue. If he convinces us that resignations are necessary, we may consider that,” he maintained.The former opposition leader, however, believed that the general elections could not be held before October-November 2012 due to incomplete voters lists, and the absence of an independent election commission.“The Supreme Court has already ordered for removal of almost 35 million bogus votes from the old lists, which had been used by hidden hands in favour of their favourite candidates or political parties,” Fazl said.Similarly, he said, elections would turn out to be a futile exercise in the absence of an independent election commission, and a caretaker government, which must enjoy the consent of all the political parties.