LAHORE, Sept 2: The PPP and the PML-N, two major components of the ARD, have decided not to take part in the general election to be held under the supervision of President Pervez Musharraf in 2007, leaders of the two parties say. However, the decision will not apply to the third round of local government elections, due to be held in the first week of October, to choose nazims for districts, tehsils and towns.

A meeting of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy is being held in Islamabad on Saturday (today) to decide the opposition alliance’s joint strategy on the subject. Technically, the meeting is the second session of the Aug 29 meeting held in Lahore, which was adjourned to enable the ARD components to formulate concrete proposals for Saturday’s meeting.

Information secretary of the coalition Syed Zafar Ali Shah hoped that the participants would take decisions which would be in the interest of the country. He said the PML-N was very clear that it would not take part in any election held in the presence of Gen Musharraf. He pointed out that Mian Nawaz Sharif had already issued a policy statement on the subject.

PPP’s Nafees Siddiqui said an interim government of national consensus alone should hold the general elections.