LAHORE, Feb 28: Both the PPP-Patriots and PPP have vehemently denied that Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal has called on Benazir Bhutto in Dubai or that the former prime minister may agree to allow the 'defectors' to rejoin her party.

PPP-Patriots Secretary-General and federal Minister for Environment Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, who a local daily reported on Wednesday was present at the Benazir-Rao meeting on Feb 21, told Dawn that the party had already decided to merge with the PML, thus there was no question of any of its leaders meeting Benazir.

"The report about the meeting is concocted, irresponsible," said Mr Hayat.

He said 10 PPP-Patriots leaders, half of them ministers and the rest members of the National Assembly, "would join the PML very soon".

He said Mr Sikandar had not left the country for well over a month, which also refuted the report about his meeting with Ms Bhutto.PPP-Parliamentarians President Makhdoom Amin Fahim also rejected the report about Benazir-Rao meeting.

He said his party would not allow the defectors to rejoin the PPP even if they resigned from assembly seats. Benazir’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar also denied the report.