KARACHI, June 7: Vice-Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Makhdoom Amin Fahim said here on Thursday that the party’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto would not attend the Multi-Party Conference called by Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif in London.

However, a high-powered PPP delegation would attend the proposed conference, he said.

A joint meeting of the PPP’s central executive committee and federal council on Thursday condemned the promulgation of the amended Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) ordinance and said it was an attempt by the military regime to censor news channels.

Describing the curbs as a violation of democratic rights guaranteed in the Article 19 of the 1973 Constitution, the PPP called for its immediate repeal.

The meeting termed the curbs an attempt to hide the growing public unrest against the present unpopular regime.

The PPP took serious note of the sequence of events and said the establishment had first attacked the political parties, then the judiciary and now the press.

The meeting also condemned what it called arbitrary arrests of political workers all over Pakistan and demanded immediate release of all political prisoners, restoration of the chief justice, safe return of Benazir Bhutto and Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, removal of restrictions on the media and immediate announcement of election date which should be held under a government of national consensus.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Safdar Abassi, Sherry Rahman and Dr Fahimda Mirza briefed the press on the decisions taken at the meeting.

Mr Fahim said the PPP would fully support the ongoing struggle of the journalist community for press freedom.

MARCH: Later, the party’s central, provincial and district leaders led a march from Bilawal House to the regional office of Pemra.

The large rally was mostly attended by party workers from the five districts of Karachi. The participants included members of the labour, youth and cultural wings of the PPP who held party flags and chanted “Jeay Bhutto” and “Wazir Azam Benazir” slogans.

At the Pemra office, the rally was addressed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Mr Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Qaim Ali Shah and Safdar Abassi.

They condemned the Pemra ordinance and called for its withdrawal. They also criticised the Punjab government for conducting massive raids on party workers and making illegal arrests.

They congratulated the PPP activists for staging a successful rally and pledged to continue their struggle for the restoration of democracy.