KARACHI, June 6: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has said it will field its candidates in all the four provinces in October general elections, provided people were allowed to use their right to vote independently in a fair and impartial atmosphere.

Announcing this at a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Thursday, leaders of the party, who had recently been to London, said the Muttahida was a representative party of poor and middle-class people and was struggling for their rights. It aimed at a peaceful and honourable way of living for the people and flourishing of a real democracy and autonomy to the provinces in line with the 1940 resolution.

Deputy conveners of the Muttahida’s coordination committee, Aftab Ahmed Shaikh, Nasreen Jalil, Dr Farooq Sattar and Shoaib Bukhari, had recently been to London, where they attended a meeting of the committee, presided over by Dr Imran Farooq. The meeting deliberated upon, among other issues, the party manifesto and strategy for the general elections in the country scheduled for October this year.

Aftab Shaikh said the party’s manifesto was being prepared and it would be presented before the people as soon as it was finalized. He added that the party would participate in the elections provided they were held in an impartial, fair and transparent manner and people were allowed to use their vote with complete freedom.

About electoral adjustment or alliance, he said the coordination committee has not taken any decision in this regard so far. Different political parties have talked to the Muttahida, but we have not decided to form any electoral alliance or adjustment with any party, Mr Shaikh said, adding that if any such decision is taken, it will surely be made public.

He said a committee, comprising all the five deputy conveners of the party, had been formed to scrutinize the cases of probable party candidates for the election.

Emphasizing the need for free and impartial elections, he suggested measures by the government and demanded of President Pervez Musharraf to review and consider the reservations of political parties in the true sense. The ban on political activities should be lifted immediately and all parties be allowed to present their manifestos before the people freely, he said.