According to a spokesman of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party, Pakistan Muslim League-N will take part in the parliamentary elections in January 8. The party made the announcement on Sunday after it had failed to reach an agreement with Benazir Bhutto to join a boycott.

Although other opposition parties say they won’t take part in the elections, there isn’t any fear of a boycott now that the two lead opposition groups decided to participate.

On Sunday all 33 parties and political groups which make the All Parties Democratic Movement, lead by Sharif’s Parties Democratic Movement, met in order to take a joint decision, Guardian Unlimited reports.

Sharif hoped that Bhutto will join him in a boycott, but she announced on Thursday that she will participate in the election.

Now Sharif feels that he has no other choice.

Ahsan Iqbal, spokesman for Sharif's party, said: “There was no consensus among the opposition parties about boycott of the election, so we have decided to take part in the election," Reuters quotes.

The other groups will make the decision on their own if they will participate or not.

However, there is still possibility for any last-minute change. Many opposition leaders are saying that the vote will be rigged.

The party of former cricket star Imran Khan, the right-wing Jamat-e-Islami party and several nationalist parties are still pushing for a boycott.

Syed Munawar Hasan, secretary general of Jamat-e-Islami, said: ``By going to the polls, in fact we will give legitimacy to Pervez Musharraf and his illegal acts.”

Musharraf promised that the elections will be “free and fair”. He said in an interview: ``We haven't even gone for elections and they are talking of rigging and everything. This is a clear indication of their preparation for defeat. Now when they lose, they'll have a good rationale, that it is all rigged, it is all fraud. In Pakistan, the loser always cries, and that is an unfortunate part.''

The emergency rule imposed on November 3, will be lifted next weekend, on December 16.

A boycott could mean an attack on the efforts made by Musharraf to legitimize the new presidential term.

According to Raja Zafarul Haq, chairman of Sharif's PML-N party, Sharif will start to visit different parts of the country in order to mobilize the masses.

He said: ``This is the most effective way to pressure this government; to restore judges, restore the Constitution.''