LAHORE, March 12: The PPP leadership on Tuesday ridiculed Qazi Husain Ahmad’s conditional cooperation offer, saying the party of Ms Benazir Bhutto was not even thinking of joining hands with the Jamaat-i-Islami.

“How did the JI chief conclude that the PPP was anxious to form alliance with the Jamaat?”, Punjab PPP president Qasim Zia said while answering reporters’ questions after a party meeting at his residence.

He said the PPP had not so far given any indication that it wanted to join hands with any other party and thus Qazi Husain’s utterances were meaningless.

He made a counter-offensive on the JI chief, alleging that before Sept 11 he had been trying to work against the democratic forces in complicity with the establishment.

Mr Zia said more than a dozen corruption cases had been instituted against Mr Asif Zardari but none could be proved during the past two years. This, he said, established that all allegations against the PPP leadership were baseless and concocted.

A resolution adopted by the participants alleged that the establishment was using its ‘operatives’ like Qazi Husain for the character-assassination of Ms Bhutto.

The resolution was full of virulent attacks on the Jamaat for its past conduct, but portions of it were deleted in a manner that they could be easily read, though supposed to be off-the-record.

District office-bearers from all over the Punjab, members of the provincial council, Punjab executive and the CEC participated in the meeting, which discussed the state of preparedness for the October elections, preparations for the death anniversary programmes of the late Z. A. Bhutto on April 4 and other issues.

Secretary-general Aftab Ahmad Khan and information secretary Naveed Chaudhry were also present when Mr Zia briefed the press.

The Punjab PPP chief said his party would not accept the elections if Ms Bhutto was kept out. He said the party was ready to offer any sacrifice for its leadership.

He reiterated that Ms Bhutto would come back to Pakistan before the elections, but a final date would be set by the party’s central executive committee.

The party decided to set up an election cell in every district to monitor the general elections. Applications from those desirous of contesting the elections are already being received.

Denying that any individual had the right to amend the constitution, a resolution said any such step would be taken as pre-poll rigging.

Another resolution condemned the government for offering baits to leaders and workers of various parties to join what it called King’s party.

The participants criticized the poor performance of the government on all fronts and alleged that people’s problems had multiplied in the absence of a democratic rule. They said the common man was unable even to pay the heavy utility bills.