KARACHI, July 22: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto will contest for her party’s leadership in a bid to qualify for elections due in October, her spokesman said on Monday.

It will be the first time since the formation of the PPP in 1967 that it will hold internal elections for the party’s top leadership, the spokesman said, adding that the vote will be taken by Aug 5.

However, political analysts do not expect a challenge for Benazir Bhutto from within the party.

The party’s central executive committee will be meeting in Karachi on Tuesday to work out the modalities of the elections, including that of the chairperson, spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP.

“We will complete the election process by Aug 5, the deadline set by the Election Commission,” he said.

“All the party office-bearers will be elected through secret ballot, as per conditions of the EC,” Babar said, adding that Benazir Bhutto would contest the same post.