ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: Acting secretary-general of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Mian Raza Rabbani has rejected the contention of Maj-Gen Rashed Qureshi that Benazir Bhutto’s return to the country depended on the courts.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Mr Rabbani said though the PPP respected the judiciary, it was against setting up of special courts. He said the party also opposed the special laws that were being introduced by the government for political purposes.

The PPP leader said NAB, by misusing the accountability law and manipulating special courts, had turned itself into a state institution of kidnapping for ransom.

“That is why the PPP believes that the issue of Ms Benazir’s safe return still needed to be addressed by the government rather than by the courts. He recalled that the regime released former prime minister Nawaz Sharif despite the fact that he was convicted by court.

Mr Rabbani said if the regime could remove judges, it could also give assurances of Benazir Bhutto’s safe return. He said the divergence in opinion between the regime and the PPP on the assurance issue was just one of the many differences between the PPP and the military regime.

He said dialogue was held on several occasions for redressal of grievances, and though there had been some confidence building, there was still a big gap which needed to be filled.