Pakistani opposition parties began mapping out today a list of demands that they say President Pervez Musharraf will have to meet to prevent their boycott of a January general election.
Former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif met in Islamabad on Monday and decided to set a deadline for the government to meet their demands, or else they would "move towards" a boycott of the January 8th vote.
A full opposition boycott would rob the vote of credibility and prolong instability in the nuclear-armed country that is crucial to US efforts to fight al Qaeda and bring peace to neighbouring Afghanistan.
Ms Bhutto has said her party would reluctantly take part in the vote, while reserving the right to withdraw or to protest against an unfair result. She has already issued a manifesto and effectively began her campaign last weekend.
Sharif has called for a boycott unless judges Musharraf purged when he declared emergency rule on November 3rd were reinstated.
Representatives of Ms Bhutto, Mr Sharif and other opposition parties met to forge a united stand and draw up a "charter of demands" to be implemented before the vote.
"There was unanimity that the present regime is not going to hold free and fair elections and it's pushing the country towards a rigged election," said Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for Sharif's party, who attended the talks.
He said the list of demands would be finished by Wednesday or Thursday but he declined to give details. "There was no major difference on main issues," he added.