QUETTA, Sept 25: President Gen Pervez Musharraf formally launched his election campaign from Quetta on Tuesday by holding meetings with MPAs, MNAs and Senators of the ruling PML and allied parties.

Sources told Dawn that the president sought votes from the legislators who pledged their full support. It is learnt that two nomination papers of the president would be filed in Quetta.

Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf and some federal ministers attended the meeting.

However, the president failed to woo the MMA and other opposition parties as MPAs and ministers of the religious parties’ alliance, the coalition partner of the PML in Balochistan, and other members of opposition parties invited did not turn up.

Senior Minister and MMA’s parliamentary leader in Balochistan assembly Maulana Abdul Wasay said it was pointless for them to meet the president because a decision in this regard could be taken only by the alliance’s central leadership.

Members of the APDM’s component parties, including the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the National Party, also did not attend the meeting. The People’s Party Parliamentarians took a similar stand.However, president of the Balochistan National Party (Awami), Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, announced that the BNP would vote for General Musharraf.

Former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali could not reach Quetta. Sources said he had missed the flight. Members of the Jamhoori Watan Party Haji Jumma Khan Bugti, Saleem Ahmed Khosa and Syed Mumtaz Shah met the president along with former speaker Mir Zahoor Ahmed Khosa.