LAHORE, Sept 8: Punjab PPP President Shah Mahmood Qureshi says the party will make public the strategy with regard to its `relationship’ with the Musharraf regime soon after the Election Commission of Pakistan announces a schedule of presidential election.“We will apprise the people of the complete details of the dialogue with the government, and the party’s central executive committee will work out a comprehensive future plan in the given situation,” he said at a news conference after presiding over a meeting of party’s Lahore division organisation here on Saturday.He said PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto would be returning home regardless of the outcome of the ongoing dialogue with the military government. He said the party had chalked out a comprehensive strategy to meet any situation. Even if the talks ended in futility, Ms Bhutto would come back and she would be fully conscious of the entailing consequences, he added.

He said the People’s Party had decided to negotiate with Gen Pervez Musharraf for restoring peace in the whole of South Asia where terrorism was mounting, religious extremism was on the rise and Talibanisation, particularly in Pakistan, was fast creeping in.

“The PPP has to play its role against the dangers of terrorism and religious extremism to usher in an era of genuine democracy, liberalism, tolerance and social enlightenment because we understand that the people of Pakistan cant truly benefit from the fruits of progress and prosperity when such dangers keep lurking”, Mr Qureshi added.

He said the party had a well-thought-out plan even if negotiations with the Musharraf regime failed. “We have history of struggle, sacrifices and working for the welfare of the people; no threat can deter the PPP from playing its role that the national cause requires from the party regardless of the consequences”.

The PPP Punjab president said the party was in a dialogue with the regime also because certain elements were bent upon creating an atmosphere of confrontation to vitiate the situation to a degree where further political and electoral process could be jeopardised.

“Another reason for our dialogue is that we want social and political harmony in the country so that conspirators do not succeed in their evil designs to delay election,” he said to another question.

He said it was because of the PPP’s democratic struggle that Gen Musharraf was touching the lowest of his rule and his ‘cronies’ were now facing a fast disintegration. He said the ruling PML-Q had proved a house of cards which was now being blown away with the political wind of the PPP’s democratic struggle.

He claimed the ruling party in Punjab was clearly divided into pro and anti-Chaudhrys groups; the latter wanting not to vote for Gen Musharraf in uniform. He said the ruling party was divided in four groups in Sindh. The one was headed by Mr Ghaus Bakhsh Mehr, the other by Mr Imtiaz Sheikh, the third by federal minister Liaquat Jatoi while the fourth faction was being lead by Chief Minister Arbab Rahim.

He said those criticising the PPP for holding negotiations with the government had themselves been in contact with the rulers. They were the people who legitimised the rule of Gen Musharraf by supporting the 17th amendment to the Constitution. He said that the APDM was still hobnobbing with the regime but was not making it public.

“We know our limits with regard to extending the process of negotiations and will not go beyond that at the cost of democracy”, he said and added that the PPP’s goal remained fair and free elections, the establishment of representative institutions and the end of military rule for good.”