Ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Tuesday said that the current emergency in Pakistan will prove to be the 'shortest ever' in the history of the country as it would be lifted within a few weeks.
Hussain claimed that his advice to impose emergency was ignored months ago and hundred of deaths could have been avoided if the step was taken earlier.
The emergency, imposed on Saturday by President Pervez Musharraf, would be lifted within a few weeks, he told a television channel.
Hussain also said that the general election would be held on schedule but there could be "some delay on technical grounds".
"Everyone would be allowed to take part in the elections and the winning party would be invited to form the government without any delay," he said.
Emergency was imposed to avoid martial law as the functioning of the government was "hampered and nearing collapse due to the undue interference of some members of the judiciary," Hussain said