PESHAWAR, Oct 21: The NWFP chief of Pakistan People’s Party has demanded that the government should identify the terrorists who had masterminded the killing of PPP workers in the homecoming rally of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday.Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Syed Zahir Ali Shah and Zulfiqar Afghani, president and deputy general secretary of the PPP, Peshawar division, said that Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim had been hurling threats at the PPP leadership for the past month but the federal government did not take action against his remarks. They said Ms Bhutto had written a letter to President Pervez Musharraf, in which she had enlisted the names of ‘terrorist officials’ responsible for the Karachi carnage. They insisted that the same people were behind the killing of PPP workers and policemen on Sharae Faisal.They said the procession was inching towards Karsaz when the bombs exploded and street lights went off. They said the PPP had complained to officials about switching off of lights on the road ahead of the rally, but they did not bother to inquire in to the matter. They said it showed that a small ‘gang’ inside the government was out to eliminate the entire PPP leadership boarding the truck.They said the attack was aimed at discouraging public meetings and rallies but the PPP would not accept any restriction on political activities.“Those who lack public support have suggested banning rallies and public meetings. The PPP is the only political force which commands the support of a majority of the people in the country and it will defy any ban on political process. Restrictions on political gatherings are meant to depoliticise the country,” they said.

They urged the government to initiate action against those named by Ms Bhutto in her letter to Gen Musharraf two days before the attack. They said the PPP would not allow the government to put the party leadership under a constant fear of vulnerability in the name of security problem. They said it was a ploy on the part of anti-PPP forces to keep the party at distance from the masses, which were the real source of power. Later, party workers carrying PP flags, placards and banners took out a procession which marched on the Shershah Soori Road and offered funeral prayers for the victims on Saddar Road.The protesters chanted slogans against the Sindh chief minister and demanded his removal the post. A heavy contingent of police stopped the protesters from heading towards the Governor’s House.