President Pervez Musharraf announced on Thursday, just hours after he took the oath as a civilian president, that the state of emergency will be lifted on December 16, thus leaving only three weeks to the election campaign.

This move brings Musharraf a step closer to fulfilling the demands of Pakistani people and international audience to return the country to democracy.

He said on Thursday in a televised address to the nation: “I fully intend to lift the emergency on Dec. 16, to end the Provisional Constitutional Order and to hold fair and free elections according to the Constitution,” the New York Times reports.

He added: “No destabilization or hurdle will be allowed in this democratic process. Elections, God willing, will be held on Jan. 8 according to the Constitution and no one should create any hurdles.”

Still, more opposition parties united under the All Pakistan Democratic Movement, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif threatened to boycott the parliamentary elections in protest of the lack of democratic norms under the emergency.

On Thursday during Musharraf’s swearing-in, clashes between lawyers and police took place in Lahore. The lawyers that were protesting against Musharraf threw glasses, bricks and sticks at the police. Some lawyers and police officers were injured.

Even though Musharaf announced that he will drop the emergency rule, he showed no sign of freeing the former judges and senior advocates of the Supreme Court or to lift the suspension of radio and television stations.

After the emergency rule is lifted the decisions made by Musharraf in recent weeks will remain the same. Among these are the bans on media, charges of antiterrorism against lawyers and an amendment that will allow military tribunals to trial civilians for offenses like sedition.

Musharraf said that he had always thought of removing his uniform and wanted to lead Pakistan towards democracy, but he had to think in the interest of Pakistan’s stability.

He blamed Mohammed Iftikhar Chaudhry, the former chief justice, for hampering his plan of transition to democracy.

Pakistan People's Party, Benazir Bhutto’s party, said that will take part in the election, but it reserve its right to withdraw.

Party spokeswoman, Sherry Rehman said: “We are taking part in the election under protest.”

In order for fair elections to be held, the party wants the Election Commission reconstituted and local-level government leaders suspended.

Sharif said that de had decided to boycott the election if the former judges are not reinstated.

Musharraf repeated many times that the judges won’t be reinstated. The reason they were deposed was to not stand in the way of validating his reelection.