ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) vice- chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has condemned the government’s “harassment” of the party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, in denying her a Pakistani passport.

In a statement here on Thursday, Mr Fahim said the former prime minister had applied for an urgent passport at the Pakistani High Commission in London on October 1.

The high commission, instead of issuing the passport within two days as required under the rules, referred the application to the authorities in Islamabad, who declined to issue the passport.

Mr Fahim urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf to direct the concerned functionaries to immediately issue the passport to Ms Bhutto.

He said the denial had sent a negative signal to the international community about the state of civil and human rights in the country. It would also not be conducive to the efforts currently being made for national unity, he added.

The PPP leader said he would soon approach the relevant authorities for the issuance of passport to Ms Bhutto.