KARACHI, Pakistan, Sept. 22—Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, leader of West Pakistan's majority party, implied today that his party might begin armed resistance to the military Government if it did not cede power by the end of the year.

Mr. Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's party and the strongest single politician in West Pakistan, told newsmen:

“It is vitally important that by‐elections be held and a National Assembly convened by the end of this year. After all, if they can hold an election even in Vietnam, we should be able to hold one in Pakistan.

“If we have not restored democracy in Pakistan by the end of this year, I feel the chances will be very slim that it can ever be done. In that case, those parties which want to fight for the people must come to the obvious conclusion. —that it cannot be accomplished by the parliamentary process. The choice will be either to give or to adopt a nonparliamentary course.”

Party's Strength Cited

Asked whether this meant that his party was prepared to take up arms should the army not have relinquished power by the end of the year, Mr. Bhutto said:

“The question is premature. However, I may say that we are strong both on the parliamentary side and outside the parliamentary field. We are preparing for every possibility. Governments could be changed in parliamentary ways or by revolution or coup d'etat.”

In Pakistan's first election last Dec. 7, Mr. Bhutto's party, founded in 1966, won 88 National Assembly seats out of 144 allotted to West Pakistan. In East Pakistan, all but two of the 169 Assembly seats went to the Awami League, which is now banned.

Since the imprisonment March 26 of the Awami League's leader, Sheik Mujibur Rahman, Mr. Bhutto has been the strongest politician in Pakistan, although he has virtually no political base in the Eastern wing. He has pressed over the months for a speedy transfer of power from martial‐law authorities to a civilian government.

“If we are able to take power at the beginning of next year,” Mr. Bhutto said, “we will need to mount a herculean effort for six months to arrest deterioration, both internally and externally.

“In winter, with the monsoon flooding past, we have a chance to reach the people in their homes, especially in East Pakistan, and to reach political solutions,” he continued. “We also need six months of intensive diplomatic work.

“But if we have to start later than January there will be too little time. We don't want power unless we have a chance of bringing about national reconstruction,” he said.

Mr. Bhutto acknowledged that there was still fighting in East Pakistan, but said that his party would contest some of the Assembly seats there that the Government's move against the Awami League had caused to be vacated.

Mr. Bhutto has not visited East Pakistan since March 25 and conceded that he was not well informed about the situation there. “If the Government is not well informed about it, how much less can we be?” he asked.

When questioned as to how he felt about the secret trial on treason charges of Sheik Mujib, his former arch rival, Mr. Bhutto said:

“Mujib is in the custody of the Government, not us. His disposition is the responsibility of the Government. Our party deals with situations only as they arise.”

Sheik May Retain Seat

Mr. Bhutto's failure to reach agreement with Sheik Mujib on major constitutional issues was a major reason for the postponement last March 1 of the first meeting of the National Assembly. This postponement was interpreted by the Awami League as a breach of good faith by the military Government. Bloodshed and military occupation followed.

A Pakistan news agency, apparently speaking for the Government, said today that Sheik Mujib would retain a seat in the National Assembly unless he was convicted of treason.

The agency, Pakistan Press International, did not attribute its statement to any source, but presumably it could not have been published had it not been approved by the Government.

The implications of the article, if it is correct, are that Sheik Mujib is alive, that his trial is still in progress and that there is a chance for his acquittal, in which case he could presumably resume his role as leader of the Awami League.