LAHORE, Oct 11: Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto has rejected President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s call to delay her return to Pakistan and decided to land in Karachi on Oct 18 as scheduled.

A PPP meeting chaired by Ms Bhutto in Dubai on Thursday decided that the precise flight schedule would be announced at news conferences to be held on October 16 by Makhdoom Amin Fahim in Islamabad, Jehangir Badr in Lahore, Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Multan and Qaim Ali Shah and Nisar Khuhro in Karachi.

Gen Musharraf had asked Ms Bhutto in a TV interview on Wednesday to delay her return till the announcement of the Supreme Court’s verdict on his eligibility to contest the presidential election.

A party leader said after the meeting: “Ms Bhutto’s decision to come back to Pakistan on October 18 is irrevocable.”

Sources said that a day after celebrating Eid in Dubai, the PPP chairperson would fly to London and make final preparations for her return to Karachi.

Some PPP leaders based in London, European Union parliamentarians, Commonwealth representatives and a large number of media persons will be among 150 people accompanying her.

The sources said that Mr Asif Ali Zardari would either accompany his spouse or reach Karachi a few days before her. His programme would be finalised after some time.

Talking to Dawn from the UAE, Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that Ms Bhutto would come to Dubai from London and then take a connecting flight and land in Karachi at 1pm, not 11am as announced earlier.

Meanwhile, PPP secretary general Jehangir Badr told reporters at an Iftar party in Lahore that the president had proposed to delay PPP chairperson’s return so that she did not receive a rousing welcome.

Mr Badr said that although Gen Musharraf had assured that Ms Bhutto would not be arrested on landing in Pakistan, she was ready to face any eventuality.

He defended the ‘understanding’ between his party and Gen Musharraf and said it was the best way to ensure smooth transition to democracy.

He ruled out any electoral cooperation between the PPP and the ruling party.