January 06, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 15, 1427

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LAHORE, Jan 5: The PML-N hopes that all opposition parties will take a joint decision on whether or not to take part in the elections held in the presence of President Pervez Musharraf.

In the prevailing situation, there were greater chances of the opposition parties adopting a united stand on the future course of action, including a decision about participation in or abstention from the next general elections, PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said on Friday.

He was asked to comment on PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s statement that her party would participate in the elections even in the presence of Gen Musharraf, and that boycotting the elections would amount to pushing the country to another martial law.

She had also said that although Nawaz Sharif had reservations about contesting the polls in the presence of Gen Musharraf, she would be able to convince him to change his mind.

The PPP and the PML-N are the major components of the 16-party Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy. The remaining parties being devoid of popular following have little say on any issue and follow decisions taken by their “senior partners”.

MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman has also said that his party has no reservations about contesting the elections when Gen Musharraf is still present on the political scene.

Zafarul Haq said the multi-party conference being hosted by his party would clear all misunderstandings and bring all opposition parties closer to one another.

He said ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim had told him recently that the PPP had still not taken any decision to contest the election when Gen Musharraf was there on the scene. Mr Fahim, he said, had also assured him that the PPP would abide by the provisions of the Charter of Democracy.

He said Ms Bhutto’s statement that all opposition legislators would resign en bloc in case Gen Musharraf sought reelection from the present assemblies had removed all misunderstandings about their ‘deal’ with the government. “There has been no outcome even if it be assumed that the two sides were trying to reach some kind of understanding,” Raja said of the reported contacts between the two sides.

He said his party believed that fair and impartial elections were not possible in the presence of the present setup. Still, he said, he would urge all parties in the opposition to take a collective decision on whether to contest or stay away.