ISLAMABAD, AUG 31, SPA == President General Pervez Musharraf says martial law and emergency in Pakistan are not a solution and stressed upon political stability. In the run up to election the political environment should remain stable. Martial Law, emergency are not the solution to our future, but Pakistan comes first, Musharraf told participants of his weekly state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) programme Aiwan-e-Sadr sey (from the presidential palace). The president expressed the hope that political stability will continue and the economic gains will be transferred at the grassroots level. We should go for the election, my election and that of national and provincial assemblies and these must be held on time; free and transparent and on merit, he said. Musharraf termed political instability, law and order, extremism and terrorism major factors that could seriously impact Pakistan s economic growth. I have full confidence that we will maintain political stability in the country, the President said and added a long term strategy was being pursued in this regard. He agreed with a questioner that the entire nation was facing uncertainty. There are rumours, distortions and the unfortunate part is that these are by design, to create uncertainties. The President said he wanted to control these but since there was no dictatorship in Pakistan, he wanted to do it in a democratic manner. I am not a dictator ... I have freed and opened up the media ... democracy is our need, he said and hoped that the political uncertainty should end in the next 3-4 months. My election should be held between 15 September and 15 October, as it is a legal and constitutional requirement and the national and provincial election should be held this year. The President said it was the right of the people to vote, but stressed that the system of checks and balances must be there to ensure continuity of the system. The objective of setting up the National Security Council (NSC) is to have a system of checks and balances on the power brokers of Pakistan, Musharraf said. He said in the past people used to go to the Army Chief, when they faced any problem, but hoped that with the creation of a constitutional institute of NSC, this matter would be addressed.--more www.spa.gov.sa/478811