Islamabad/Karachi, Nov 19 : The Muttahida Majalis Amal (MMA) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have announced that they will not attend the meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan that will be held in Islamabad today.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retired) Qazi Muhammad Farooqs had called this meeting to discuss code of conduct with political parties for the forthcoming elections.

“The election commission is a controversial, partial and incomplete body and its code of conduct for general elections will be unconstitutional and unacceptable”, said MMA leader Farid Paracha in a statement.

PPP Secretary-General (Sindh) Nafees Siddiqui said that his party was engaged in dialogue with all the opposition parties to forge an agreement on a minimum agenda - - to wage struggle against President General Pervez Musharraf and to restore genuine democracy in the country

“We are not relying on Western powers for the ouster of the military dictator and the restoration of genuine democracy in the country,” The News quoted him, as saying.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the PPP did not trust the present caretaker Government of Mohammadmian Soomro.

Shah went on to say that the police were arresting PPP workers and registering fake cases against them. (ANI)