October 03, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 20, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 2: Confident of President Pervez Musharraf’s smooth win in the election for another term, the ruling PML has decided to celebrate the ‘expected’ victory in a big way at all district headquarters on Saturday evening.

Party sources say sweets will be distributed across the country and the Muslim League Houses in various cities illuminated. In Lahore, an iftar-dinner will be arranged at the Muslim League House for 1,000 people.

A torch-bearing rally comprising some 500 people will be held in Lahore. It will start from the Muslim League House and end at the Lahore Press Club.

Instructions are being issued to party organisations to make arrangements for celebrations in their respective areas.

PML sources say the decision taken by the JUI-F to go with the parties in the All Parties Democratic Movement on the issue of resignations was rather unexpected for the party leadership. The ruling party was expecting that the JUI would support the president, they added.

Meanwhile, JUI-F sources say the party will take part in the general elections even in the presence of President Pervez Musharraf, regardless of the stance of other APDM components.

Top party sources told Dawn that Maulana Fazl had conveyed the decision to the leadership of the four-month-old coalition.

The Awami National Party is also determined not to stay out of the electoral process just because of political differences with the general.

But, some other parties in the APDM have a different point of view.

The JUI thinks that the principled stand of the APDM that Gen Musharraf is not eligible to contest the presidential election and the existing assemblies are not competent to elect a new president has been “compromised” because of the petitions moved by various parties and the Supreme Court’s verdict on them.

The party has now decided not to blindly follow the APDM’s future decisions.

The JUI argues that it was some parties in the APDM that had taken the issue of Gen Musharraf’s eligibility to the apex court. And after the dismissal of the petitions, the general may argue that he is constitutionally, politically and morally qualified to contest the election, says a JUI leader.

The party has also serious reservations about the nomination of Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed (retired) as presidential candidate. By extending him support the parties in the APDM have admitted that the existing assemblies are competent to elect the new president, says another JUI leader.

The JUI is of the view that Gen Musharraf can get himself re-elected even after the opposition legislators resigned. This, a leader says, means that the next general elections will be held in the presence of Gen Musharraf.

It has been decided that in future every decision of the APDM will be discussed by the JUI’s Shoora, and the party will follow them only if it suited the party interests.

The JUI says it is regrettable that all important decisions are being taken by lawyers and the parties in the APDM are being used for their implementation. “As a result, political parties which are supposed to lead have become the followers of lawyers. This situation is not acceptable to the JUI.