LAHORE, July 22: The World Punjabi Congress will organize four one-day international conferences at Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen and London followed by a grand five-day conference at Lahore in 2005.

A statement issued by Congress chairman and PPP leader Fakhar Zaman here on Tuesday after his return from a tour of Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France and Austria, said that the congress had organized eight international Punjabi congresses so far.

He said he had set up congress branches in Italy, Spain and Belgium during his European tour. The Punjabi organizations of the European countries had also given him an award for his contribution towards the promotion of Punjabi language and culture.

Mr Zaman said he had also addressed the meetings of the PPP workers in the European countries and stated that the PPP was the only progressive party which could combat fundamentalism and extremism. PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had always opposed the forces of reaction and was the only leader capable of liberating Pakistan from the forces of retrogression.