RAWALPINDI, Jan 14: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday ruled out any deal with the government and announced that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto would return to the country during the current year.

Speaking at a rally at the Liaquat Bagh, PPP leaders said the party workers would not tolerate any hurdles in Ms Bhutto’s return.

About 50,000 people attended the party’s first election rally after reaching the place in processions from different areas of the city. All Pakistan Minorities Association president Shahbaz Bhatti also attended the rally with his supporters.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab PPP president MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Ms Bhutto had decided to return to Pakistan this year ahead of the elections.

He said Ms Bhutto did not need the permission of President Pervez Musharraf for returning to the country. He warned the government of serious consequences if it created any obstacle in the former prime minister’s return.

“We will resist any hurdle in the way of Ms Bhutto and we expect that nobody will block her arrival,” Mr Qureshi said.

He alleged that the government intended to rig the elections but said the PPP would mobilise the public in this regard by holding countrywide rallies.

He said the prevailing price hike, unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation had multiplied the miseries of common people but the regime was oblivious to their problems.

Mr Qureshi claimed that the PPP would emerge as the winning party if fair and transparent elections were held.

PPP general-secretary Raja Pervez Ashraf requested Ms Bhutto to land at Islamabad airport, claiming that the people of the Potohar region would extend an exemplary reception to her.

He said that the presence of a large number of people at the rally proved that the masses wanted Ms Bhutto to be the prime minister for the third time.

A large number of the student and youth workers were raising slogans urging the party’s chairperson to return to the country at the earliest.

MNA Naheed Khan said the anti-state policies of the military regime had spread hatred among the provinces. She expressed the fear that the federation would collapse if free and fair elections were not held in the country.

MNAs Nayar Bukhari and Zamurd Khan, MPAs Farzana Raja and Ishtiaq Mirza and Senator Dr Babar Awan also spoke.

Online adds: AJK PPP president Chaudhry Abdul Majeed alleged that the government wanted to divide Jammu and Kashmir.