MIRPURKHAS, Nov 10: Former federal minister and leader of the Pakistan People’s Part, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, has denied reports of any underhand deal with the government and said the party wanted safe return of its party chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto.

“The party did not believe in any such kind of deals and followed the democratic process,” the member of the PPP central executive committee said in a statement here on Saturday.

He said had it been the case, the party leader Ms Benazir and her family would not have remained in exile for a long period. He said the interior minister had been issuing contradictory statement about the party chairperson, which shoed inconsistencies in the government policies about the party leadership.

He demanded of President Musharraf to ensure Ms Bhutto’s safe return so that she could play a positive role in the crucial phase of the country’s history.