ATTOCK, Oct 21: Pakistan Peoples Party central leader Malik Hakmeen Khan on Sunday asked the party workers and activists to turn their grief into determination to defeat undemocratic and fascist elements.

This he said while talking to local journalists here after his return from Karachi.

He further said that undemocratic forces wanted to frighten political parties, particularly the PPP, fighting for a liberal and progressive Pakistan. But they could not take democratic forces hostage, as the PPP would continue to support the people in their struggle for their rights, he remarked.

Malik Hakmeen, who was visibly upset and depressed, said that he condemned such cowardly acts of terrorists, who killed innocent people and wanted to shake the very foundations of the country. No one in the world could justify the killings regardless of his/her party affiliations, he said.

He appealed to the workers to pay tributes to their fallen comrades for giving sacrifice for the cause of the country and the people and pray to God for their peaceful eternal rest. Commenting on the current political situation after the return of PPP chairperson, he said Ms Bhutto was the last hope for restoration of democracy in the country.

He said the massive participation of over three million people form all the four provinces had proved that PPP was still the symbol of federation in the country and was the only real political party having roots in the masses.

Therefore, all pro-democratic forces should extend their political support and cooperation to Ms Bhutto by realising the ground realities, as a joint strategy of political parties was needed to bring stability in the political system in the times ahead, he stressed.

Referring to the criticism on the party for entering a deal with the military regime under NRO, he regretted that it was totally unjustified and termed it as false propaganda of some dejected political elements.

He said that Ms Bhutto would act as per the desires of nation as she believed in democratic principals and always struggled for it.

On a question that why Ms Bhutto did not disclose the names of three persons posing a threat to her before the media, he said it was a sensitive matter and only party leadership could comment on it and hoped that with the passage of time all the facts would come to light.

: The local journalists and members of media organisations including Central Union of Journalists and Attock Press Club offered condolences over the death of a private TV channel cameraman, Arif Khan, who was killed in Karachi bomb blast while covering the PPP rally.