ISLAMABAD, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A major opposition alliance in Pakistan on Thursday decided in principle to boycott the Jan. 8 parliamentary elections, chief of the alliance Nawaz Sharif said.

    Leaders of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), an alliance of over 30 opposition parties, met in the eastern city of Lahore on Thursday and decided to stay away from the elections as they believed that the elections would not be transparent under President Pervez Musharraf, said Sharif, who is also top leader ofthe opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Addressing a news conference, Sharif said the APDM also rejected Musharraf's televised address in which he announced to lift emergency on Dec. 16.

    He said that the alliance had decided to form two committees to meet Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister who was leading the major opposition People's Party (PPP), and Maulana Fazal ur Rehman, leader of the opposition Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), to ask them to join the other parties in the boycott.

    Shahbaz Sharif, younger brother of Nawaz Sharif and leader of PML-N, said earlier that the boycott would be meaningless without the support of PPP.

    Benazir Bhutto and Maulana Fazal ur Rehman have already decided to take part in the elections.

    In a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Musharraf urged all political parties to participate in the general elections wholeheartedly.