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| Pakistan puts back election date | Pakistan puts back election date |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| Elections originally scheduled for 8 January in Pakistan will now take place on 18 February, polling officials say. | Elections originally scheduled for 8 January in Pakistan will now take place on 18 February, polling officials say. |
| The chief election commissioner said it would not be possible to hold the vote as scheduled following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. | The chief election commissioner said it would not be possible to hold the vote as scheduled following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. |
| At least 47 people have been killed in violence around Pakistan since Ms Bhutto's death last Thursday. | At least 47 people have been killed in violence around Pakistan since Ms Bhutto's death last Thursday. |
| The main opposition parties wanted the poll to go ahead as planned, and accuse officials of seeking to rig the vote. | The main opposition parties wanted the poll to go ahead as planned, and accuse officials of seeking to rig the vote. |
| 'Not conducive' | |
| Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq said violent protests had directly affected the organisation of the poll. | Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq said violent protests had directly affected the organisation of the poll. |
| PPP TOP LEADERS Asif Ali Zardari Benazir's widower and former political ally, has faced corruption and other chargesBilawal Bhutto (pictured) Benazir's son, a 19-year-old Oxford University student, considered too young by some PPP membersMakhdoom Amin Fahim Senior PPP figure and top aide to Benazir Successors' challengeReaders react to successionProfile: Asif Ali Zardari | |
| He told a news conference in Islamabad that the election commission had decided the situation was "not conducive" to holding the vote on time. | |
| Therefore, he said, he had decided it would take place after the holy month of Muharram, which begins next week. | |
| A number of polling offices had been burnt down, particularly in Ms Bhutto's home province of Sindh, with the loss of many election materials, Mr Farooq said. | |
| The riots had also delayed printing of ballot papers by four days and new lists of voters were required, he added. | |
| Opposition parties say any delay is a desperate measure designed to avoid defeat by President Pervez Musharraf's ruling party. | |
| "There are no grounds whatsoever for delaying the elections," Raza Rabbani, deputy secretary general of Ms Bhutto's PPP party said earlier. | "There are no grounds whatsoever for delaying the elections," Raza Rabbani, deputy secretary general of Ms Bhutto's PPP party said earlier. |
| "It is being done only at the behest of the PML-Q as they are seeing their defeat." | "It is being done only at the behest of the PML-Q as they are seeing their defeat." |
| The ruling PML-Q party had said the 8 January vote should be delayed for several weeks, on the grounds that the vote would "lose credibility" if held under current conditions. | The ruling PML-Q party had said the 8 January vote should be delayed for several weeks, on the grounds that the vote would "lose credibility" if held under current conditions. |
| The BBC's Chris Morris in Islamabad says the PPP wanted elections as soon as possible, in order to take advantage of what could be a big sympathy vote. | The BBC's Chris Morris in Islamabad says the PPP wanted elections as soon as possible, in order to take advantage of what could be a big sympathy vote. |
| Dossier on 'rigging' | Dossier on 'rigging' |
| On Tuesday, one of Ms Bhutto's aides said that the day the PPP leader was killed, she had been planning to give two visiting US lawmakers a 160-page dossier setting out how she thought the vote would be rigged. | On Tuesday, one of Ms Bhutto's aides said that the day the PPP leader was killed, she had been planning to give two visiting US lawmakers a 160-page dossier setting out how she thought the vote would be rigged. |
| The aide said it documented how Pakistan's ISI intelligence service and the election commission planned to use intimidation and fake ballots to ensure a ruling party victory. | The aide said it documented how Pakistan's ISI intelligence service and the election commission planned to use intimidation and fake ballots to ensure a ruling party victory. |
| President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman dismissed the claims as "ridiculous". | President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman dismissed the claims as "ridiculous". |
| "Take it from me, it's going to be perhaps the best election that Pakistan has ever had," said Rashid Qureshi. | "Take it from me, it's going to be perhaps the best election that Pakistan has ever had," said Rashid Qureshi. |
| The authorities have accused pro-Taleban militant leader Baitullah Mehsud of being behind her killing. | The authorities have accused pro-Taleban militant leader Baitullah Mehsud of being behind her killing. |
| On Wednesday, the military said troops had killed about 25 militants in the tribal region of South Waziristan where Baitullah Mehsud is based. | On Wednesday, the military said troops had killed about 25 militants in the tribal region of South Waziristan where Baitullah Mehsud is based. |
| Fighting began on Tuesday after four troops were taken hostage by the militants, the authorities say. | Fighting began on Tuesday after four troops were taken hostage by the militants, the authorities say. |
| There is no independent confirmation of the military's account. | There is no independent confirmation of the military's account. |