LAHORE, Feb 22: The Pakistan People’s Party has decided to contest the October general elections even if its chairperson Benazir Bhutto is not allowed to participate.

The party has now sought applications from potential candidates which must reach the party secretariat by March 12.

Party sources said chairperson Benazir Bhutto had consulted various leaders in London, United States and Dubai before deciding that the party should contest the polls at all costs.

The party, they added, did not want to miss the chance as it had done in 1985. It wanted to field candidates even if the military government restricted the authority of parliament through proposed constitutional amendments.

Those aspiring for the party ticket for a National Assembly seat, the sources said, would be required to donate Rs25,000 to the party. For the Provincial Assembly seats the amount is Rs15,000.

Asked why the party was choosing candidates even before the Election Commission had announced the delimitations, the sources said the candidates would be allowed to adjust to the final delimitation plan.

The party, they said, wanted to prepare early in view of the qualification conditions introduced by the government.

The PPP, the sources claimed, planned to “go alone,” refusing various offers for forming alliances or making adjustments. The policy, they argued, was vital since every vote polled by a party would count towards deciding the fate of the seats reserved for women and technocrats.

Elections to the reserved seats are proposed to be on the basis of proportional representation. The system will allow parties to be represented in the assemblies through technocrats and women even without winning the general seats won contested by them.