KARACHI, Oct 25: Acting-president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Thursday condemned the terrorist attack on Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s rally in Karachi on Oct 18, and called for joint efforts for banishing anti-democratic forces from the country.

He was talking to reporters after his meeting with Ms Bhutto to offer his condolences on the death over 140 innocent people in the carnage. He also conveyed his concern over the terrorist attack and threats to her life.

Amid commotion due to media mishandling at Bilawal House, Mr Hashmi said the attack on the PPP caravan was a clear message to all the political parties from the intolerant anti-democratic forces which, according to him, “are not prepared to accept political parties.”

He strongly condemned the attack, and urged all political parties to keep in contact with each other despite differences among them so that the political process could be continued.

He said the military dictator was an obstacle in the restoration of a genuine democracy in the country.

Mr Hashmi said that the head of the PML-N had telephoned Ms Bhutto soon after the attack to express his concern and offer his condolences.

“Our party regards this incident as an attack on democracy and a message to all democratic political parties,” he said, adding that in the “Charter of Democracy”, political parties had agreed to engage in political dialogues with each other.

In his meeting with Ms Benazir Bhutto at Bilawal House, Makhdoom Hashmi was accompanied by acting-president of Sindh PML-N Saleem Zia.

Present on the occasion were PPP Deputy Secretary-General and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raza Rabbani, Senator Safdar Abbasi, MNA Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar former defence minister Aftab Shaaban Mirani and Sindh PPP President Syed Qaim Ali Shah.