ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The Pakistan People's Party's leadership will meet in London on Friday to review the political situation and finalize the party's line of action.

Though officially the PPP leaders were terming their gathering a routine matter, sources said there was a heavy agenda and several important decisions were expected in the meeting, which would be presided over by PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

They said the agenda included the finalization of the date of Ms Bhutto's return to the country. They said Ms Bhutto had made up her mind to return to the country in 2004 and was waiting for President Gen Pervez Musharraf's announcement of leaving his military post.

They said the leaders would finalize the period in which Ms Bhutto should arrive in the country. They said Ms Bhutto would inform the party leaders about her recent meetings in the United States.

Sources said one group of US congressmen thought that both Gen Musharraf and Ms Bhutto were liberals and there should be an understanding between them but another group believed that now when the president had delivered, there was need for a change in the leadership.

They said US President George Bush knew that he could not go beyond a point with a military dictator, no matter how beneficial he was. They said the European Union, the Commonwealth and the western countries knew that there was no democracy in the country even after the passage of the 17th Amendment and the confidence vote obtained by Gen Musharraf.

They said the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy had launched a coordinated campaign for the first time in the last four years and Ms Bhutto was monitoring the developments through the Bilawal House. They said Ms Bhutto had prepared a schedule for the PPP leaders to visit protest camps in different cities.