PPP politician says opposition is united

Lahore: Former president of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians in Punjab, Qasim Zia, has strongly refuted speculation that the Musharraf regime has tasted success in "engineering" a rift in opposition.

Talking exclusively to the Gulf News, he said that all opposition parties in the country were united on every subject including the chief justice issue.

Qasim said," The incumbent regime has failed miserably in creating any misunderstanding amongst us. Rumour-mongers are certainly out in the sun, trying to weaken the opposition by tarnishing its image in the eyes of the public, but let me assure you that there has never been a conflict of any sort on any issue between the two major political parties - the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group)."

He maintained," Our leaders keep on meeting the PML (Nawaz) leadership and there is no truth in reports that former premier Nawaz Sharif has refused to meet Makhdoom Amin Fahim recently.

"I think, by now, it should be explicitly clear to all that the Pakistan Peoples Party has not struck any deal with the President.

"We are all busy preparing for the forthcoming general elections in the country and are at the same time, waiting to accord a tumultuous welcome to our leader Benazir Bhutto when she lands in Pakistan. She will be here shortly."