ISLAMABAD, Aug 21: The Pakistan People's Party has said that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto or Asif Ali Zardari were not party to the purchase of Rockwood Estate (Surrey Palace) and the property not registered either's names.

PPP's spokesman senator Farhatullah Babur said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The statement quoted a report recently published in Daily Nation, London, saying that a NAB lawyer at a press conference at Pakistan High Commission in London had admitted: "Neither Benazir Bhutto nor her husband Mr Asif Zardari were party to the purchase of the Surrey Palace and neither was the property registered in their respective names.

"It is the view and belief of the present Pakistan government that the Surrey Palace was purchased by Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari by looting public money," the newspaper quoted Mr Alan Perry Freeman as saying.

The NAB lawyer said: "Again, it is the Pakistan government which thinks that the money from the sale proceeds of the Surrey Palace should be used for clearing the debts and the remaining money should go to Pakistan."

Alan Perry Freeman is a British solicitor and has been hired by the National Accountability Bureau to pursue the case.

"The contention of the Pakistan government has always been that Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari purchased the Surrey Palace through corruption money".

He added: "I am just a solicitor and I am least interested in the politics and the politicians of Pakistan."

The statement issued by the PPP's media cell said that Ms Bhutto had not challenged the sale or liquidation of the Surrey Palace.

Mr Zardari, it said, had decided to "call the bluff" of the NAB, adding that he had asked liquidators to accept NAB's claim that he was the beneficial owner of the property and hand the property to him or it (NAB) should declare that Mr Zardari was not the beneficial owner in which case he would withdraw his objection to the liquidation proceeds.

Mr Zardari's strategy, the PPP statement said, was forcing the NAB into a British court on the issue.

The PPP said that the NAB should welcome it instead of attempting to confuse the issue in the press through what it termed blatant lies.

Contrary to NAB claims, the statement said, no notice was issued to Ms Bhutto.

Ms Bhutto, the PPP statement said, rejected such claims, adding that she had not even seen the Surrey House. Mr Zardari, the statement said, was not the legal owner of the estate but he has claimed legal the ownership as a legal tactic against NAB.