HYDERABAD, Aug 24: People’s Party Parliamentarians chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto alone will decide whether the party should contest the elections or not in case her nomination forms were rejected.

Talking to newsmen at his residence on Saturday, Mr Fahim pointed out that the court hearing Ms Bhutto’s petition had told her that she could file nomination papers.

He said Ms Bhutto was and would always remain their leader and thus decide about each and everything.

In reply to a question about the effectiveness of parliament in presence of the National Security Council, Mr Fahim, quoting a couplet of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, said it was like throwing members of parliament into water with their hands and feet tied and then asking them ‘why you have got your clothes wet’.

He said there was no provision of the NSC in the Constitution but his party had decided to take part in the elections to restore democracy.

However, he said the parties which believed in undiluted democracy would try to do away with the undemocratic amendments from the floor of the House.

The PPP leader said that he had met Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad, PML-N leader Raja Zafrul Haq, JUP chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani and Pakistan Awami Tehrik chief Maulana Tahirul Qadri to forge a forum to restore true democracy.

He further said that efforts would be made in parliament to restore the Constitution.

In reply to a question about extending indemnity to actions of President Pervez Musharraf, the PPP leader said that parliament alone had the authority to approve or disapprove the constitutional amendments as the same had been made under the Provisional Constitutional Order.

He did not rule out adjustments with other parties on some seats but said it would be premature to say anything final at this stage.

Earlier, nomination papers of Mr Fahim were filed with the returning officer concerned by his attorney.