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KABUL (PAN): Several political gatherings were held in different provinces on Saturday voicing support to incumbent president Hamid Karzai in the presidential election runoff set for November 7.

The participants pledged they would vote in the run-off in favor of Karzai, dubbing him the most suitable person for the presidency.

Karzai's campaign office manager in the northern city of Mazar-i-Shareef told a press conference that 17 political parties and associations, some of them led by former jihadi commanders, announced their support for Hamid Karzai.

Azizur Rahman Mayaar added the campaign offices of Hidayat Amin Arsala and Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, two candidates in the August 20 presidential election, were also supporting Karzai in the second round of the polls.

He said president Karzai agreed to a second round of the presidential election in the larger public interest.

Meanwhile, in eastern city of Jalalabad, a large gathering of Afghan Millat political party pledged support to Karzai.

Leader of the party and former finance minister, Dr Anwarul Haq Ahadi, told the gathering attended by 3,000 people that tens of thousands of his party's followers would cast their ballots in Karzai's favour in the run-off race.

In central Uruzgan, 300 people from Barakzai tribe also announced their support for Karzai.

The pledges came as only seven days are remaining for the run-off between Karzai and his challenger Dr Abdullah Abdullah.

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