LAHORE, Aug 1: Punjab PPP President Qasim Zia said on Monday that the government should check the records of religious seminaries before ordering any action against students studying there. Seminaries which were encouraging students to get involved in terrorist activities should be stopped from “educational activities”.

He alleged that the PPP candidates taking part in the local elections were being harassed. However, he said, they would resist all pressure tactics. Answering a question, he said Ms Bhutto was ready to come back to Pakistan in 2002 but then the situation changed.

JOIN PPP: Some office-bearers of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik, including the party’s NWFP president, joined the PPP in the presence of Qasim Zia and Naveed Chaudhry here on Monday.

Two former PAT leaders Maj Anwar Alvi (retired) and Iqbal Mehmud Awan who had joined the PPP a few weeks ago, were also present.

The PAT leaders said a large number of workers would also join the PPP.

However, a scuffle broke out as some PAT activists appeared on the scene to say that those who were joining the PPP had already been expelled from the PAT.

The new entrants slapped them after which they left the scene.

Meanwhile, a PAT spokesman said in a press statement that no office-bearer of the party had joined the PPP.

The statement said that some PAT workers had been deceitfully brought to the news conference. However, when they came to know that they were required to join the PPP, they boycotted the news conference.

The statement said that the PAT would take an active part in the local elections.

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