ISLAMABAD, July 17: The date of Ms Bhutto’s return to the country will be finalized soon after the announcement of the election schedule, PPP Punjab President Qasim Zia told a Press conference on Wednesday.

“The party chairperson will definitely return to the country well before October 10,” Mr Zia said.

The PPP had not taken a final decision for participation or otherwise in the coming general election, Mr Zia said, adding that a decision in this connection would be taken by the ARD.

He said the ARD had yet to take a final decision in this regard. The PPP leaders and workers, he said, were fully prepared to respond to any ARD call.

In case the ARD decided to launch a struggle against the government, the PPP workers and leaders would be in the forefront and would not hesitate to court arrest, he added.

He claimed that the whole country had rejected the proposed constitutional amendments.

About the ARD convention in Rawalpindi on Thursday, he said the government had been informed of the meeting.

Earlier, Mr Zia presided over a meeting of the PPP workers of the Rawalpindi division and reviewed arrangements being made to make the ARD workers’ convention a success.