LAHORE, Dec 29: While a number of parties have decided not to take part in the elections, others which have completed preparations have no objection to delaying the process for a ‘few weeks’ to enable the Pakistan People’s Party to mourn Benazir Bhutto’s death.

“We are in favour of postponing the polls in consultation with other parties for a few weeks,” said a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl).

“However, the postponement should not be for more than a few weeks. At the most the elections should be held in March,” he said.

He said the JUI-F was prepared for the polls, but it was willing to accept the delay because of the trauma the PPP was passing through.

The JUI-F also called upon President Musharraf to quit.

The Awami National Party said the government should respect any decision about the elections taken by the PPP. “They are the affected party. Their decision should be given importance,” party sources said.

A senior ANP leader said the elections could not be held in the prevailing situation when suicide attacks were taking place in various parts of the country. He made it clear that the electoral process should not be delayed beyond March in any case.

He said postponing the polls for a year, as being advised by some parties, would not yield positive results.

The PML-N has also set its eyes on a decision to be taken by the PPP. Nawaz Sharif has said that the elections in the prevailing situation would be a meaningless exercise.

PML-Q leader Farooq Ahmed Leghari has said the polls should be delayed for at least one year and a national government should run the country till the completion of the electoral process.

The PPP, the PML-N and the MMA, he said, should also be given representation in the proposed set-up and if some party did not like to join, its seat should be kept vacant.

“President Musharraf should reach out to all parties,” Mr Leghari said, adding that serious efforts should be made to bring all the parties on board.

He was of the opinion that all energies should be devoted to combating extremism and militancy for one year to create an atmosphere conducive to the elections.

The Jamaat-i-Islami, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf and a number of nationalist parties in the PONM have already decided to boycott the polls.