Pakistan's Opposition alliance, headed by exiled former Premier Nawaz Sharif, said its members in the national and provincial assemblies will resign on September 29, the day when the Election Commission will scrutinise nomination papers of President Pervez Musharraf.
The decision was taken by the Opposition alliance, the All Parties Democratic Alliance, headed by Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N at a meeting in Peshawar.
The meeting also decided that North West Frontier Province Chief Minister Akram Durrani will suggest the Governor to dissolve the provincial assembly on October 2, few days before the presidential elections.
The NWFP government is headed by Jamat Ulema Islami a major partner of the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal.
"We had earlier decided that if Musharraf tried to re-elect himself from the present assemblies, our members of national and provincial assemblies will resign," Opposition leader Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman said after the meeting.
"This is a historic decision,
Rehman said on September 29, members of all parties, which have representations in the parliament and provincial assemblies, will submit resignations with their leaders. The members of National Assemblies will hand over resignations to central leaders and provincial assemblies members will hand over resignations to the provincial leaders.
The central leaders will submit resignations to the speaker of the national assembly and the leaders of the provincial assemblies will hand over their resignations to the provincial speakers on September 29, Rehman said.
Major Opposition Pakistan Peoples Party of Benazir Bhutto is not part of the APDM and on Thursday fielded its own candidate for the Presidential election. The Presidential election is due on October six and the resignations will have bad impact on the credibility of polls.
The government said resignations will not affect the presidential election and the process will go ahead despite the opposition move.
