KARACHI, March 15: The Pakistan People's Party has said that if the government wants a national consensus on various issues, it should get rid of the 17th constitutional amendment and hold a dialogue directly with Benazir Bhutto.

"Dialogue is important process of politics but not at the cost of principles," said PPP deputy secretary-general Mian Raza Rabbani while replying to a question during a news conference at Bilawal House here on Monday.

The news conference was called for deploring the attempts being made by the government to get a fresh FIR registered to implicate former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in helicopters case.

Mian Raza Rabbani, who was flanked by Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Nisar Khuhro, claimed that the National Accountability Bureau was trying to institute another reference against Ms Bhutto, in violation of law and the constitution, to implicate her in a case pertaining to purchase of helicopters.

Mr Rabbani, who is also parliamentary leader of the party in the Senate, pointed out that the helicopters were bought by the company of Malik Allahyar Khan, who was a close relative of the former president Farooq Leghari. He alleged that direct beneficiary of the deal was the former president and his close relatives.

The PPP leader said that the helicopters case was investigated in a hostile environment about six years back. In the FIR registered on Feb 28, 1998 under Section 409 and 109 Pakistan Penal Code, he said, there was no mention of Benazir Bhutto as she was not involved in the matter at all.

He said that an attempt to implicate her through a fresh FIR, after more than six years, had exposed the regime's policy of political victimization. This would be illegal and unconstitutional, he remarked.

Raza Rabbani deplored that the government, which claimed to be the champion of good governance, included those against whom cases were pending in the NAB. He alleged that the federal cabinet also included those who had returned to Pakistan after striking deal with the regime. He further alleged that the biggest loan defaulters were in the present government.

However, he added, since they supported the regime and 17th amendment and stabbed the democratic struggle, all cases against them were ignored. He alleged that Aila Malik's husband was arrested, but, no case was registered against him when he announced his support for the regime.

The PPP leader said that his party was anticipating some harsh measures by the regime after Ms Bhutto began to expose the government on nuclear issue. The projected reference was a direct consequence of that, he added.

He claimed that Abdullah Murad's murder and resignation by the PPP MNA and MPAs in Punjab were all linked with each other. Referring to the reported statement of Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad in which he had said that if the PPP would not give up politics of agitation there would be more defections, Mr Rabbani said that the statement had clearly exposed the government's intentions.

"This statement exposes the government's fascist tactics which is not willing to tolerate political dissent," he said adding that the party would not detract form the path of democratic struggle. He said that the PPP and the ARD component parties would keep mounting their pressure.

He cautioned the government against instituting false cases against Benazir Bhutto and added that if the government persisted with its draconian policies, the PPP knows how to deal with the situation.

Raza Rabbani said that Ms Bhutto would return to the country at a time when maximum political advantage could be extracted. He said that the party would decide when she should return. He also denied any contact of the party with the government.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah, central leader of the PPP also deplored the government tactics and said that Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali should not establish such precedence.

Accusing the government of targeting the PPP for achieving its "fascist" objectives, Mr Shah said the attempt to institute another reference against Ms Bhutto was deplorable. He said that if the regime believed in democracy and rights of the people it should allow Ms Bhutto to return and contest elections.

He said that this government could not claim improvement in law and order when the president was not safe. When he came to Karachi, the security measures taken for him gave the impression as if martial law had been imposed in the country, he added.

PPP Sindh chief Nisar Khuhro alleged that the Jamali government was continuation of the process that the regime had initiated to perpetuate itself by weakening democratic institutions and humiliating elected representatives of the people.

He alleged that the government had embarked on horse trading by offering ministries to those who left the party. He said that when Benazir Bhutto started exposing the regime, a new reference against her was contemplated.

Mr Khuhro said that attempts were being made to organize an all party conference to prop up joint struggle against state terrorism, which was reflected in the murder of Abdullah Murad.