December 03, 2007	Monday	Ziqa'ad 22, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 2: Leaders of the All Parties Democratic Movement may review their decision to boycott the Jan 8 elections if they fail to convince Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman that all anti-Musharraf parties should stay out of the electoral process to deprive it of credibility.

“Our decision to boycott the elections was right, but we have received a very negative reaction from our supporters and voters,” an APDM leader said here on Sunday. “Now our view is that all parties should take a unanimous decision,” he said.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) chief Nawaz Sharif will meet Ms Bhutto and Maulana Fazl in an effort to persuade them to stay out of the electoral process.

APDM leaders think that despite the negative reaction of their supporters a boycott would be a better option if all opposition parties take that decision.

However, one of them said, if the PPP and the JUI did not change their stand, the APDM would be left with no choice but to allow its candidates to contest the elections.

Maulana Fazl called Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch on Sunday and told him that the JUI’s decision to take part in the elections was irrevocable. He said that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leadership should allow the JUI to contest with ‘book’ as its election symbol. Mr Baloch informed MMA president Qazi Husain Ahmed about the conversation.

Qazi Husain and some other APDM leaders will meet the JUI chief in Islamabad on Monday to try to resolve differences on the issue.

If the APDM decides to contest the elections, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan will be the only leader left out of the process as he has not filed his nomination papers. He insists that participation in the polls under the Provisional Constitution Order will be tantamount to betraying the nation.