In Pakistan, Sharif’s Party To Join Elections

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The party of a former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, announced yesterday that it would participate in Pakistan’s parliamentary elections next month after failing to convince a rival, Benazir Bhutto, to join a boycott.

Greater participation will make the balloting look more open, bolstering President Musharraf’s democratic credentials, which took a hit over his November 3 declaration of a state of emergency and his dismissal of independent-minded judges.

But having the opposition in the field also will siphon votes and seats from Mr. Musharraf’s party, weakening the American-backed leader.

While some parties still say they won’t participate in the January 8 polls, the prospect of a general opposition boycott has now collapsed with decisions by the two largest opposition groups to field candidates.

The All Parties Democratic Movement, comprised of 33 parties and political groups led by Mr. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N, met yesterday to cobble together a joint stance.

Mr. Sharif had hoped to convince Ms. Bhutto to have her Pakistan People’s Party join a boycott, but she said Thursday that her supporters would participate, and five hours of debate yielded only agreement to disagree on the boycott, which the parties tried to paper over by saying they are committed to fighting Mr. Musharraf.

At the end of the talks, Mr. Sharif’s party announced its participation. The other groups will decide on their own whether to stay away.

“Since we could not reach any agreement with People’s Party and they are contesting polls, we cannot leave the field open,” a spokesman for Mr. Sharif’s party, Ahsan Iqbal, said.

Still, in the current volatile political environment, last-minute snags remain possible, with several opposition leaders claiming the government is preparing to rig the vote.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use