New Delhi: Sources close to Nawaz Sharif have told CNN-IBN that there is disagreement between senior PML-N party leaders on boycotting the January polls. They also say that majority of them want to contest the elections.
CNN-IBN spoke to PML-N Chairman Raza Zafar-ul-Haq on the party's indecision on participating in the january elections
"We are behind our leader, Nawaz Sharif," said Haq.
"There was a full scale discussion whether to boycott the elections. But the arguments were that by boycotting the elections we'll be conceding ground to our opponents, especially to the Government, and if we contest the elections it is our duty to stand up and be contested," he said.
"Initially, we were planning to boycott (them), but then when General Pervez Musharaff removed the Emergency, the only demand left was to reinstate the judges," Haq explained.
Earlier, Nawaz's brother Shahbaz said in Lahore that the PML-N would participate if its workers feel capable of facing the rigging, likely to be done by the ruling party. The announcement comes ahead of a meeting between Nawaz and Bhutto on Monday.
Bhutto is at present in Peshawar discussing political developments in the North West Frontier Province with senior party leaders. Meanwhile Tehriq-e-Insaf chief, Imran Khan has alleged that the parties contesting the polls will only be deceiving their country.
Pakistan opposition leader, Imran Khan has sharply criticised Benazir Bhutto's decision to take part in the forthcoming polls.
Khan, who has been very critical of Bhutto for her decision of joining the polls, said he was even willing to convince other opposition leaders to ensure that charges against the former prime minister are dropped if she joined the boycott.
“In my opinion Benazir is making a huge mistake as she doesn’t understand the mood of the people. No matter what excuses she gives, people will see her as a collaborator with Musharraf in perpetuating a system that they have turned against,” says Imran Khan.
Khan, the chief of the small Tehreek-e-Insaf party, on Saturday also joined a protest by journalists at the Lahore Press Club to express solidarity with their campaign against curbs on the media.
"The struggle for freedom of the media is in fact the struggle for freedom of the country," he said.
With Agency inputs
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