LAHORE, Dec 26: The Pakistan People’s Party announced on Wednesday that it would stay away from the all parties conference being convened by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan in the city on Thursday.

Announcing the decision at a press conference here, PPP’s Punjab president Qasim Zia, said the party had no objection to the agenda for the APC. He rejected the suggestion that the decision was a result of some deal with the government for the release of Asif Ali Zardari.

Mr Zia, who is also the Punjab ARD chief, did not agree that the decision would harm the Alliance. He said the party was not abandoning the Alliance. He said the Nawabzada had convened the APC in his personal capacity and not as ARD president.