Refuting demands by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for early polls, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sahrif has declared that general elections will not be held before 2018.
Sharif remarked in a statement issued from his house in Islamabad that all political factions have a stake in the democratic system and that no system can be perfect. He however, added that "constitution and parliamentary democracy" are the only two tools through which imperfections in the system can be removed, reported the Dawn.
He said that 2018 would be the year when Pakistanis would choose or reject a party on the basis of their performance.
Sharif vowed to make Pakistan a prospering nation by the time it enters election mode in 2018.
The PTI has been holding demonstrations to protest against alleged corruption and rigging in 2013 general elections. It has demanded Sharif's resignation in order to ensure a free and independent enquiry into allegations of electoral rigging.
The statement comes as the PTI prepares to hold "a landmark rally" in the capital on November 30.
