LAHORE, March 3: The PPP has opposed the Wana military operation and described it as a risk to political sovereignty and national security. "The government should arrest terrorists , if any, but keeping in view all advantages and disadvantages of the drive, especially the national security concerns, instead of watching interests of any foreign state," said PPP Deputy Secretary-General Mian Raza Rabbani.

He was talking to reporters here on Wednesday at ARD Deputy Information Secretary Munir Ahmad Khan's residence where he had gone to condole the death of his father. PML-N Punjab chief Zulfikar Khosa, Zaeem Qadri, Bhutto Foundation's Rana Shaukat Mahmood and Haji Azizur Rahman Chan were also present on the occasion.

Mr Rabbani said his party was against going too far in the war on terror where it could risk political sovereignty of the country. Asked if the PPP would accept the MMA's cooperation in launching protest against the Wana operation and other issues, he said the religious alliance should first restore its trust among the masses.

The MMA, he said, had made itself dubious in the public eye after entering into an agreement with the government on the LFO issue. He denied any difference of opinion among the ARD constituents on the MMA's offer.

Mr Rabbani, who is also the ARD's parliamentary leader in the Senate, rejected as mere coincidence the joint walkouts staged by the ARD and the MMA in the Senate during protest on Karachi girls' killing and Wana operation. He said exiled leaders - Benazir Bhutto and Shahbaz Sharif - had announced their return to country this year.

Answering a question, he said it was premature to say that they would return by the same plane. However, he said, whenever his party had talked about the return of Ms Bhutto, it had not forgotten Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.

He also denied that the month of September had been fixed for the return of the PPP chairperson. Asked if the ARD members would resign from assemblies to put pressure on rulers for forming a government of national consensus as suggested by MMA acting chief Qazi Husain Ahmad, he said: "No such plan is under consideration."

The Qazi himself, he said, should resign according to the promise he had made to the nation if the government didn't bring the LFO debate in parliament. Answering a question, he said the second phase of "Remove Musharraf Drive" would be finalized at the ARD's March 10 meeting.