ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto's party has said it would contest the October 6 Presidential poll in the event of the Supreme Court barring General Pervez Musharraf from running for a second five-year term.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would field its senior leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim in the Presidential race if Musharraf is disqualified by the apex court, which is soon expected to deliver a verdict on a slew of petitions against the General's dual office. "If the Supreme Court does not disqualify Musharraf, the PPP would consider resigning from Parliament unless moves are taken towards democracy," party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement.

The announcement indicated that PPP did not intend to field its candidate directly against Musharraf, who had been involved in talks with Bhutto on a possible power-sharing deal. Babar said the party would not resign from assemblies if Musharraf doffs uniform, lifts ban on persons becoming Prime Prime Minister for a third time and takes steps for national reconciliation. But, he added that it would continue to oppose Musharraf's re-election.

He said that as far as the candidature of Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, who has been nominated by the lawyers' bodies to contest against Musharraf, was concerned it was premature to comment on it unless the issue of eligibility of the General was determined.