Islamabad, Oct 09: Contesting pre-poll survey forecast that the party had a very narrow margin over the military regime-backed PML (Qaide Azam) in tomorrow's polls, former premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians today said that its alliance would win a comfortable majority and form the next government. Contradicting a pre-poll survey which predicted 80 seats against 79 by the government-backed Pakistan Muslim League (Qaide Azam), PPPP spokesman Faratullah Babar told that according to its own survey, the party along with others in the alliance for restoration of democracy (ARD) would win more than 50 per cent seats.
The national assembly has an effective strength of 342 with 272 members getting elected directly and 70 seats reserved for women and minorities. The seats are allotted to parties on the basis of precentage of votes polled by them. He said the surveys conducted by PPPP, it was expected to win around 108 seats followed by 45 seats by Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf.
The PPPP and PML (N) together with other parties in ARDwould win more than 50 per cent of the parliamentary seats, he said. He said the surveys conducted by PPPP, it was expected to win around 108 seats followed by 45 seats by Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf.
The PPPP and PML (N) together with other parties in ARDwould win more than 50 per cent of the parliamentary seats, he said. "The PPPP and ARD parties will emerge as the biggest group in parliament, and it will be our right to be invited to form the government first. After elections, the ball will be in Gen Musharraf's court. If he will respect (the) will of the people, he can play golf," he said emphasising what Bhutto told media over phone in Lahore.
Bureau Report