ISLAMABAD, May 18: An NWFP MPA Hafizullah Khan Alizai on Wednesday joined Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) reposing his full confidence in the leadership of party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Mr Alizai joined the PPP at a ceremony held at the party’s Central Secretariat here. Opposition leader in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, political secretary to the party chairperson MNA Naheed Khan, Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi, acting president of PPP, NWFP chapter, Rahim Dad Khan, Secretary-General Najmuddin Khan and MPA Zahir Shah were present on the occasion.

Announcing his decision to join the party, Mr Alizai said Pakistan was passing through a difficult time and Benazir Bhutto was the only leader who could save the country. He said the federation was under threat because of continued dictatorship in the country.

Later, in a joint statement Senator Raza Rabbani and MNA Naheed Khan said political victimisation of PPP continued unabated. “This is a crude attempt by the ruling party to stifle the voice of the opposition and lay foundations of a rigged local government election,” they said.

They criticized the government for victimising PPP MNA Qamaruz Zaman Kaira and his entire family for their opposition to the regime. “His brothers, including Nadeem Kaira, UC Nazim, Kharian, have been implicated in fabricated cases by the Punjab government,” they added.

Earlier, they said, another MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio was “framed up” in a case of kidnapping by the Singh government. Mr Chandio is also district president of the party in Nawabshah.

The court granted him bail after the abducted person told the court that Mr Chandio was not involved in his kidnapping. The Sindh government is now trying to involve Mr Chandio in a fabricated murder case, they added.

The PPP leaders said the party workers arrested on April 16 were still languishing in Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Sialkot jails. They said this wave of state terrorism against political workers, particularly those belonging to the PPP, was condemnable.