ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Vice- Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has expressed concern over the suicide attempt by a party worker, Asif Ali Buledi, at Garhi Yasin Taluka in Shikarpur district.

Mr Buledi, the PPP president Chatto Mangi Union Council, attempted suicide to protest the imprisonment of Asif Ali Zardari and the politically motivated cases against Benazir Bhutto.

The PPP worker entered the office of a newspaper in the Lakhi Gate area on Sunday and after raising slogans of "Jeay Bhutto" went to the bathroom where he shot himself. The police reached the site and shifted Mr Buledi to the civil hospital where the injured was stated to be stable.

The PPP vice-chairman, in a statement issued here on Monday, said he was concerned over the fact that another party worker had taken the extreme step of attempting to kill himself.

Mr Fahim said the party neither had asked its workers for this kind of extreme sacrifice nor it called for such a sacrifice now. "However, this supreme sacrifice offered by a worker highlighted his support for the PPP and his courage in resisting the military dictatorship", he added.

"It is a stunning and humiliating set back to Gen Musharraf's rule," he said. Mr Fahim asked the workers that instead of committing self- immolation, they should gather their energies to strengthen the party and spread its message throughout the country.

Earlier, Asif Buledi had twice tried to commit suicide to protest the imprisonment of Mr Zardari and the cases against Ms Bhutto, but his life was saved. On both the occasions police registered cases against him. Last week, the PPP worker had announced that he would commit suicide on the day Shaukat Aziz would take oath as prime minister.

Mr Buledi is the third PPP worker who has attempted suicide this year. Earlier, in January another party worker, Dhani Bux Memon, committed self-immolation, protesting the "victimization of Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari". Later, Dhani Bux died of serious burn wounds.

A few months later, another PPP activist Sarwar Bhand tried to set himself on fire twice in two days. In the first attempt, he was rescued by the people but he suffered burn injuries. The next day, he again set himself on fire at his home.