The New Nation - Internet Edition

Agencies

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has launched her party's manifesto for January's elections, focusing on domestic issues.

She said her Pakistan People's Party was taking part in the polls under protest and could still boycott them.

Another former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, is calling on all parties to join in a boycott.

President Musharraf has promised to end emergency rule on 16 December, six weeks after he imposed it.

On Wednesday he stepped down as head of the army.

Bhutto told journalists in the capital Islamabad that the PPP's policies were based on what she called the five Es: employment, education, energy, environment and equality. But she refused to firmly commit to taking part in the parliamentary and provincial assembly elections.

"We are taking part in elections under protest, we are not giving them any legitimacy. But if we do not participate we leave the field for others," she said. She also outlined a number of concerns about the fairness of preparations for the elections.

Former Pakistani prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif will meet early next week to discuss whether or not to boycott the upcoming election, party officials said Saturday.

Bhutto has said that her Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) will participate in the election scheduled for January 8 under protest but Sharif has said the polls would be meaningless unless the judiciary is restored to its pre-emergency rule status.