Bhutto party 'will join Pakistan poll if Musharraf barred'

Former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto’s party announced today that it would contest the country’s presidential election – but only if President General Pervez Musharraf is barred from running.

The announcement came as the Supreme Court resumed hearing petitions which could determine Gen Musharraf’s right to pursue a new five-year term. The opposition claims he cannot do so without giving up his powerful dual role as army chief.

Gen Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, has pledged to step down as military chief and restore civilian rule if lawmakers give him a fresh mandate on October 6. But a government lawyer said yesterday that the Pakistani leader would stay on as army chief if he is not re-elected.

That has fuelled opposition claims, denied by the government, that Gen Musharraf could be setting the stage to declare a state of emergency.

With the court expected to make a ruling this week, authorities have already rounded up at least 100 opposition party leaders and members to prevent street protests, drawing sharp criticism from Washington and the European Union.

Ms Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party said its vice chairman, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, would contest the presidential vote by national and provincial lawmakers if the Supreme Court disqualifies Gen Musharraf, according to a party statement released late yesterday.

That indicated that the party did not plan to run directly against Gen Musharraf, who has held months-long talks with Ms Bhutto over a possible power-sharing agreement.

But in an effort to keep the pressure on the military leader to cut a deal which could allow Ms Bhutto to become prime minister for a third time, the party said it would also consider resigning from Parliament to boycott the vote if Gen Musharraf is allowed to run.

“If the Supreme Court does not disqualify Gen Pervez Musharraf, the PPP would consider resigning from the Parliament unless moves are taken toward democracy,” party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

An opposition coalition of Islamist parties and the party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, have said they plan to resign from Parliament this week – a move which would lead to at least a partial boycott of the vote by lawmakers, intended to rob it of legitimacy.

The coalition’s leaders were due to meet today to finalise their plans.

Syed Munawar Hasan, a leader of the Islamist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, or United Action Forum, said its lawmakers would resign from the National Assembly, Parliament’s lower house, but were keeping their options open until after the Supreme Court verdict on whether to resign from the four provincial assemblies.

He said MMA members of the Senate, or upper house of Parliament, would not resign and would support Wajihuddin Ahmed, an independent-minded former Supreme Court judge nominated by lawyers to run against Gen Musharraf.

Siddique ul-Farooq, a spokesman for Mr Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N party, said its senators also would support Mr Ahmed’s candidacy, and its other lawmakers would resign from the other assemblies “as a strategy to block the way of Pervez Musharraf”.

Gen Musharraf has seen his popularity and power erode since his botched effort to fire the Supreme Court’s chief justice earlier this year. His administration is also struggling to contain Islamic militants.