LAHORE, Oct 12: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s refusal to accept President Pervez Musharraf’s “advice” to delay her return to Pakistan till the Supreme Court decided the question of his eligibility for a second term would not affect the “understanding” between the two sides, says Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani.

He told Dawn on Friday the president had given the advice in the interest of Ms Bhutto, and if she did not accept it, national reconciliation started by the government would not be affected.

President Musharraf gave the same advice for a second time on Friday, but the PPP’s stand remains unchanged.

PPP Secretary-General Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the party had already made preparations for according an unprecedented welcome to Ms Bhutto on her return to Pakistan after eight years in self-imposed exile, and thus her schedule would not be changed.

Thousands of party workers from Punjab would be going to Karachi to receive their leader on Oct 18, he said.

The information minister said the government would take all possible measures required to achieve the objectives of national reconciliation.

But Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz while talking to reporters in Dera Ghazi Khan on Thursday said that ill-timed return could harm Ms Bhutto.

Both the president and the prime minister said the government had no plan to arrest Ms Bhutto.