LAHORE, Feb 3: The PPP said on Friday the government’s “character-assassination” campaign against Ms Benazir Bhutto amounted to pre-poll rigging of which the chief justice of Pakistan, the chief election commissioner and the world community should take due notice.

The Lahore Coordination Committee, which met under the chairmanship of Mr Khalid Kharal, decided to step up political activity after Muharram to mobilize the party and show that it was united under the leadership of Ms Benazir Bhutto.

Briefing reporters on the deliberations, Munir Ahmad Khan said so far no court had convicted or summoned the party chairperson. He said Ms Bhutto’s announcement that she would come to Pakistan had unnerved the rulers and they had started taking steps to avert her return.

The issuance of red notices or allegations that she owned the Surrey Mansion were part of a campaign targeted at deflecting public attention from the serious issues facing the country.

Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Altaf Qureshi, Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan, Munawwar Anjum, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Afzal Sindhu, Maj Anwar Alvi, Mian Misbahur Rehman, Malik Mushtaq Awan, Kazim Khan and Tahir Khaleeq were among the participants.

Munir Khan said Ms Bhutto did not own any property other than the ones details of which had been submitted to the election commission.

He challenged the claims made by the NAB officials, advising them not to play into the hands of the government or they would have to abide by the consequences when the PPP returned to power.

Mr Khar said once Ms Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan, the ruling PML would vanish from the political scene. He claimed that the ruling party had no vote bank and probably it was for this fear that Gen Musharraf was having to say it time and again that he would not allow both the former prime ministers to come back.

He warned the rulers against the likely consequences in case Ms Bhutto was brought back handcuffed.

The former governor said he would mobilize the people of Punjab before the elections.

Mr Kharal described the first round of conventions as a success and said the party would plan more events in the future. He told a questioner that Ghulam Mustafa Khar was among the founding members of the PPP and he would have a lead role in mobilizing it. Answering a question, he said Ms Bhutto would announce her schedule before returning to Pakistan. He said reports that she would come quietly were incorrect.