KARACHI, Nov 22: Almost all major opposition parties and the smaller ones willing to contest in the upcoming general elections are still undecided whether to boycott the poll or not.

The parties forming the ruling coalitions at the federal and provincial level have, however, rushed to collect the nomination papers along with those intending to contest as independent candidates, most of them yet to submit the forms.

About 250 nomination papers have been collected by aspirants of national and provincial assembly seats for Karachi constituencies.

Eight candidates, all belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) submitted their nomination papers at the City Courts on Thursday.

The major opposition parties have been expressing their reservations over the constitution of the election commission, which they regard as not an ideal one as its members are handpicked figures and not neutral or from among the ones supposed to be nominated by the opposition parties. They maintain that Gen Pervez Musharraf wants his favourites to reach the assemblies.

The Provincial Election Commissioner, Chaudhry Qamar-uz-Zaman, who is Returning Officer for the reserved seats of women and non-Muslims, has issued more than 120 forms since Wednesday while over 400 nomination papers for seats in various categories have so far been collected by candidates in Karachi alone.

Among the prominent figures who have collected nomination forms are Makhdoom Amin Faheem and Makhdoom Jamil-uz-Zaman of the Pakistan People’s Party, although the party is yet to decide on taking part in the elections, to be held on Jan 8, 2008.

Leaders and candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-N are missing from the EC offices as the party has more likely to boycott the election. However, reports suggesting return of Sharif brothers from abroad in next 72 hours have mobilised the PML-N cadre. At some places in the city, PML-N activists have kept themselves ready to collect the nomination forms once they got a green signal from the party high command.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), being an alliance of six religio-political parties, is still divided over the participation in the election. At least one of its two major components, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F has collected nomination forms for its candidates though the other one, Jamaat-i-Islami, is likely to announce a boycott.