LAHORE, May 1: The PPP on Saturday took exception to an accusatory statement attributed to Punjab PML-N President Zulfikar Khosa against Ms Benazir Bhutto, and declared that the leadership would also register its protest at a meeting of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) slated for Sunday (today).

Punjab PPP President Qasim Zia and Information Secretary Naveed Chaudhry said at a news conference that Mr Khosa's reported remarks were an attempt at breaking the multi-party alliance at the behest of those opposed to the unity between democratic forces.

Mr Khosa was reported to have said at a meeting in Multan that the PPP had celebrated the overthrow of the democratic PML-N government and that it had joined hands with the party of Mian Nawaz Sharif after running out of options.

He was also reported to have alleged that as prime minister Ms Bhutto had permitted her party men to make as much money as possible during the party rule.

Qasim Zia recalled that although it was the PML-N government, which had instituted bogus cases against her, the PPP chairperson agreed to form an alliance with them in the larger national interest.

He said that the nation was fully aware of those who had come to limelight because of Gen Ziaul Haq, an obvious reference to the Sharifs.

Qasim said the PML-N leadership should apologize to the PPP workers for their derogatory remarks against Ms Bhutto.

Party's Lahore president Mian Misbahur Rehman and media adviser Iqbal Sialvi were also present at the news conference.

Naveed Chaudhry said first it was Khwaja Saad Rafiq who had launched a campaign to break the ARD and now it appeared as if Mr Khosa had assumed the responsibility. He said perhaps the PML-N leadership did not want Mian Shahbaz Sharif to come to Pakistan and be received by all ARD components.

Qasim told a questioner that so far the PPP had not been taken into confidence about Mian Shahbaz Sharif's plan to return to Pakistan. However, he said, the PPP would welcome his return home as he was a Pakistani and had the right to come back.

In response to a question, the Punjab PPP president said his party did not want to break the ARD while the PML-N was not interested in seeing the ARD as a strong coalition.