London: Pakistan's People's Party on July 10 rejected as "illegal and unconstitutional" the conviction of leader Benazir Bhutto to three years rigorous imprisonment by an anti-corruption court for her failure to appear before it.

"This decision is illegal and unconstitutional because it has been delivered by a court which has been formed by a military dictator at gun point," press spokesman of the former Premier, Bashir Riaz, said on July 10.

Alleging that the sentence was part of the military regime's design not to allow her to return Pakistan and participate in the October elections, he said, "The Constitution the military ruler Pervez Musharraf is using is unconstitutional."

"It also confirms that he is afraid of Bhutto's return to power because of her huge popularity particularly among the poorer sections of the society who believe that only she can pull Pakistan out of its crisis," he said and charged Musharraf with trying to perpetuate his "dictatorial regime".

In Islamabad, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar alleged the conviction was part the government's drive to push Benazir Bhutto out of politics, out of the electoral contest.

"She (Bhutto) was convicted for not having appeared before the court despite the summons," Babar said.

"The merits of the case, in which she has been accused of graft, have not been decided yet.

"Our position is that she is not an absconder under the Law, since her defence counsel is representing her, she is represented in the court."

Babar said the conviction was made possible by a Law introduced by Musharraf, who seized power in October 1999, which forbids defendants from being represented in absentia.

The special accountability court in Rawalpindi on July 9 handed down the sentence in absentia as Bhutto currently lives in self-exile in UAE and Britain.

PTI