LAHORE, Feb 12: Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday warned against rigging of the Feb 18 vote and manipulation of the results, saying it could compel his party — which considered itself the government-in-the-waiting — take certain difficult decisions that might not be liked by many.

“The PPP should not be taken for granted now,” declared Mr Zardari, spouse of the slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto, at a crowded press conference at the Bilawal House on his arrival here on Tuesday for his party’s election campaign. He said his party could go to “any extent” if the elections were rigged and added that the PPP should not be considered weak.

He also urged the establishment to remove what he dubbed as “paper tigers” who were out to harm the country. “From Lahore I appeal to the establishment that it should clear the way for the PPP by removing the paper tigers. It has got the last chance. It should listen to the voice of the people of Pakistan. Whosoever is the part and parcel of the establishment should go. My message for the establishment is that if you are to save the country you would have to restore democracy.”

He said eight PPP workers had been killed in the last four days, but the cases were not registered. “This shows that the establishment is not listening to our mood and public anger. They consider us weak. I’m not weak and the PPP is not weak.”

He also renewed his call for a new political contract between the centre and the provinces, saying it was the right time to take such a step to save Pakistan.

“The time has come that the establishment people in Islamabad should sign a new contract with the federating units to give them their constitutional rights”, he said. “The people are now fed up with the existing system and want change in the form of true democracy in which all the provinces are given their due rights. The voice coming from the four provinces is clear: we do not want to live in the present system. We want democracy and real democracy.”

In reply to a question, he said the party would decide if he should contest a by-election or not.

Mr Zardari, who has come to Punjab for the first time since his wife was assassinated in Rawalpindi on Dec 27 during her party’s election campaign rally, said he had come to the place where Ms Bhutto had died. The enemy selected Punjab to murder Ms Bhutto whose message that she gave in her last speech at the election rally before her assassination was: “Be fair to my Pakistan”.

He described the murder of Ms Bhutto as a well thought-out conspiracy. “We had thought that if they did so, they wouldn’t do it in Punjab. They wouldn’t be so foolish. But I am sorry to say that they proved themselves foolish beyond our thought. We need to work for unity now. The people from Kashmir to Khyber and from here to Kemari will have to rise on Feb 18 to save the country.”

In reply to a question if the PPP would work with President Pervez Musharraf, he said: “I have never said that we can work with Musharraf. I have been saying that the party would decide this issue after the elections. We will cross the bridge when we get to it.”

Mr Zardari said the PPP was ready to take all political forces – even those not in parliament and those sitting on the mountains – on board after the elections. “We would welcome all pressure groups from civil society.”