Musharraf heading for referendum win

Initial results from Pakistan’s referendum tonight indicated an overwhelming majority of voters approving another five year term as president for General Pervez Musharraf.

With 9,578 votes counted from 21 polling stations nearly five hours after polls closed, 9,280 supported extending Musharraf’s term. Only 203 were against. The rest were invalid.

Final results were not expected before tomorrow and voter turnout was said to be low.

Musharraf is expected to win despite boycott calls from most of the main political parties, but he was hoping for a high turnout that would lend his bid a stamp of legitimacy. The government-run Electoral Commission relaxed voting rules and set up an unprecedented 87,000 polling stations.

Musharraf seized power in a bloodless military coup in 1999, accusing then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of corruption and misrule. The Supreme Court endorsed him but gave him three years to introduce reforms and return the country to democracy.

In calling the referendum - backed as legal by the Supreme Court - Musharraf, said he needs more time to ensure the continuity of economic reforms, battle deeply rooted corruption and boost efforts to fight religious extremism.

Opposition parties had predicted the ‘‘lowest ever turnout’’ in Pakistan voting history and asked President Pervez Musharraf to step down immediately.

‘‘We are thankful to the people of Pakistan for boycotting Musharraf’s sham referendum,’’ said Qazi Hussain Ahmad, leader of the country’s largest Islamic group Jamaat-e-Islami.

Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, head of the 15 party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, said the low turnout was the ‘‘verdict of the people’’ against Musharraf and the president should accept it and resign.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Nisar Memon predicted a 25% turnout.

Musharraf has been sharply criticised by Islamic groups for his support for the US led war on terror. Pakistan’s Islamic groups were solid supporters of Afghanistan’s Taliban and tried to organise demonstrations against the war on terror and Musharraf. Rarely did they get more than a few thousand people.