ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is expected to appoint a caretaker government on Thursday to oversee elections he has promised for January but which the opposition say will be a sham under emergency rule.
"We don't expect fair and free elections under General Musharraf and his mini martial law," said Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's party.
Army chief Musharraf, struggling to secure another term as president, imposed emergency rule on November 3, suspending the constitution, getting rid of hostile judges, rounding up thousands of opponents and curbing the media.
With the United States and other allies demanding speedy steps towards democracy in nuclear-armed Pakistan, Musharraf promised to hold parliamentary elections by January 9, but he has not said when the constitution would be restored.
Nor has he said when the state of emergency would be lifted, insisting it was necessary to ensure a free and fair vote.
The opposition dismisses the notion of elections under a state of emergency. Bhutto said the possibility of a vote boycott would be discussed at an opposition meeting next week.
The National Assembly -- which critics say is a pro-Musharraf rubber stamp convened after what they say were rigged polls in 2002 -- completes its term on Thursday and a caretaker administration will be set up to organise elections.
Musharraf is responsible for appointing the caretaker administration and newspapers have tipped the chairman of the Senate, Mohammadmian Soomro, as interim prime minister.
The former banker is a member of the ruling party and is unlikely to win a wholehearted welcome from the opposition who are demanding a neutral caretaker administration.
Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azim Khan said consultations had been held and he was hopeful the caretaker administration, to be sworn in on Friday, would be acceptable. "There hasn't been any open round-table conference. Consultations are done privately through different channels and that sort of consultation has been done," he said.
