(PTI) In contradictory signals, Pakistan's top government lawyer today told the Supreme Court that the general elections would be held as scheduled while the President's Constitutional Adviser ruled out such a possibility. Attorney General Malik Qayyum also told the apex court that there was "no martial law in the country and the army has not taken over the affairs of the government".Civilian governments were functioning at the centre and in the provinces, he said. However, this comes in contradiction to comments by Sharifuddin Pirzada, President Pervez Musharraf's Constitutional Adviser, who told 'The News' daily that there would be no general elections for at least one year. But, he said the emergency imposed by Musharraf on Saturday would soon be lifted. "The emergency imposed by the Army chief would soon be revoked. But, the Prime Minister and Parliament would get one-year extension in their terms," Pirzada was quoted as saying.
Qayyum, however, told the Supreme Court that the elections would be held as scheduled by mid-January after the national and provincial assemblies complete their tenure on November 15. His remarks came as the full Supreme Court presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar set aside an order passed by sacked judges on Saturday to annul the emergency rule.