KARACHI, Feb 21: At a time when major opposition parties are busy formulating a common strategy to foil General Pervez Musharraf’s attempt to get himself re-elected as president through the incumbent assemblies, the Pakistan People’s Party has geared up its preparation for the forthcoming general elections and has started finalising list of candidates.

As a part of the exercise, the party’s Sindh chapter met here at the Bilawal House on Wednesday under the directive of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto to shortlist the deserving aspirants of the party ticket.

“The meeting discussed the upcoming general elections and obtained proposals from senior office-bearers and elected representatives about possible party candidates for the national and provincial assemblies,” said a party statement released here.

Well-placed sources told Dawn that the meeting, presided over by PPP Vice-Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, discussed at length the party’s position in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, and shortlisted three from among 15 to 20 aspirants of party ticket from each national and provincial assembly seat.

The sources said that a final decision in this regard would be taken by Ms Benazir Bhutto at the meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Federal Council, scheduled to be held in London in the first week of March.

By holding the poll preparation meeting, the PPP has made it clear not only to the government but all other parties that it would not leave the arena but contest in the upcoming general elections at any cost.

In the broader context, the meeting may be seen as a clear message to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership and other opposition parties that the PPP will not be a part of any move to boycott the elections.

A senior PPP leader said that the ruling coalition was preparing for the elections and its election campaign was being patronised by General Musharraf himself. In these circumstances, he said, Ms Bhutto felt that the party had to mobilise its cadre by starting preparation for the next general election.

“We have never said that the PPP will not take part in the next general election. The party had some reservations vis-a-vis the Election Commission of Pakistan and the intentions of the ruling coalition. As such, we are demanding setting up of a neutral caretaker set-up for holding the general election,” he explained.

He said the multi-party conference (MPC), to be held on March 24 and 25 in London, would not consider boycott of the election. “The issue of General Musharraf’s re-election by the incumbent assemblies will be on the MPC agenda, which doesn’t have any item regarding the opposition parties’ participation in the election or otherwise,” he added.

Meanwhile, PPP sources said the first round of the party’s internal meetings would continue till Thursday and in these meetings, the potential of candidates would be examined.

The Wednesday meeting was attended by Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Aftab Shabaan Mirani, Safdar Abbasi, Nisar Khuhro, Fehmida Mirza, Naheed Khan, Taj Haider, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, N. D. Khan, Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman and Pir Aftab Shah Jillani, besides the party’s legislators, CEC and FC members, and office bearers.