ISLAMABAD, March 1: The People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) on Thursday officially declared that party chairperson Benazir Bhutto would not attend the multi-party conference (MPC) of opposition parties being hosted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in London on March 24-25 and that she would be represented by a high-level party delegation.

Talking to Dawn by telephone from Dubai on Thursday, PPP president and ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said Ms Bhutto had decided not to attend the MPC, and the decision had already been conveyed to the PML-N.

Justifying the decision, Mr Fahim said when PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif announced his plan of holding the MPC, the PPP advised him to delay the event and organise it close to the elections.

Moreover, he said, the PPP also believed that the MPC should be convened after the announcement of the government’s plan of the re-election of General Pervez Musharraf as president. However, he said, since Mr Sharif had already announced the tentative dates for the MPC, it would be difficult for the party to postpone it.

Mr Fahim claimed that they had told the senior PML-N leadership about Ms Bhutto's decision at a meeting held at the residence of PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq in Islamabad on February 19. He said the dates of the MPC were also finalised in that meeting. He said the leaders of the two parties had reached an understanding that the joint declaration of the MPC would be drafted and finalised before the event.

Replying to a question about the composition of the PPP delegation, Mr Fahim said the members of the delegation would be nominated by Ms Bhutto.

When contacted, PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that at the February 19 meeting, the PPP leaders had not told them in categorical terms that Ms Bhutto would not attend the MPC.

However, he admitted that the PPP leaders had hinted at the possibility. He called it an internal decision of the PPP.

"We tried as best as we could. It would have been great pleasure if Ms Bhutto had decided to personally attend the conference. However, she has confirmed participation of her party's delegation which we equally respect because it is the PPP's internal decision," he said.

Mr Iqbal, who had earlier held talks with PPP leaders Raza Rabbani and Safdar Abbasi to finalise the draft of the declaration, expressed the hope that the MPC would prove to be the turning point for bringing down the ‘unconstitutional regime of General Musharraf’ and its declaration was being prepared in consultation with all opposition parties.

"The final declaration of the MPC will spell out a collective and concrete plan of action for opposition parties to get genuine democracy restored, ensure holding of fair and free elections, and re-build foundations of democratic governance in our country," he said.

The PML-N leader said hosting of the MPC was a great honour for his party, but the credit of its success would go to all the participating parties and leaders. He said the final declaration of the MPC would include a framework acceptable to all parties for ensuring fair and free elections in the country.

Earlier, talking to a group of reporters after a meeting of the PPP-PML(N) committee, PPP leader Raza Rabbani said the committee’s finalised draft would be sent to Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif for their ‘ratification’.

Later, he said, the draft would be given a final shape in consultation with other opposition parties. He said the draft would be ready in their next meeting expected by Monday.

According to sources in the PPP, Ms Bhutto is reluctant to participate in the MPC due to the presence of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) leaders in it. They said Ms Bhutto did not want to enter into any agreement with the MMA due to its ‘dubious role’ in making the 17th Amendment a part of the Constitution.