ISLAMABAD, July 17: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has expressed apprehension that a “hidden hand” was trying to create anarchy to pave way for imposition of emergency in the country.

In a statement released by the party’s Media Centre here on Tuesday, Ms Bhutto said the government had failed to maintain law and order in the country and there was no justification for it to stay in office.

“The government should resign and pave way for holding fair and free elections,” Ms Bhutto said. She said that her party was at great unease at the growing incidents of suicide bombings and acts of terrorism in the country.

Meanwhile, in a TV interview soon after the blast, the PPP chairperson said that her party was the main target of the suicide attack, but not because of its stand on the Lal Masjid issue.

Ms Bhutto said a civil war was going on in the country and the crisis could not be resolved through imposition of emergency. She said that the moderate and democratic forces would further be alienated if emergency was imposed in the country. She stressed the need for a strong democratic government in the country for the fight against extremism. She said that the extremists wanted to break the country.

Replying to a question, Ms Bhutto said it seemed that the Lal Masjid people had some connection with Al-Qaeda which was evident from the fact that Ayman Al-Zawahiri issued a statement within 24 hours of the Lal Masjid operation announcing Jehad against the regime.

The PPP chairperson and other senior party leaders received the news of the suicide attack on the party’s camp set up at the Islamabad district courts to accord a warm welcome to the chief justice, during a meeting of the PPP’s Parliamentary Board.