Islamabad: Undeterred by the government's ban on public meetings under the emergency rule, former Premier Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People's Party (PPP) today vowed to go ahead with a planned rally in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday.

The government of Punjab province late last night banned the meeting by the PPP, citing the threat of suicide attacks. Police officials also pointed out that such gatherings are prohibited under emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf on November 3.

But the PPP was unfazed, with the party spokesman Nazir Dhoki saying the meeting was called before the emergency was declared and would go ahead as scheduled. The public meeting was organised by Bhutto as a "show of strength" to press the government to end emergency has been banned.

Bhutto, who flew into the capital from the southern city of Karachi yesterday to consult other opposition leaders on steps to oppose the emergency, said the public meeting for the election campaign would be "a show of strength".

"I appeal to the nation to join the protest and show their power. When people will come out, pressure will mount. The people will have to fight for the restoration of the constitution and democracy and to save the country," she told reporters at her home here late last night.

However, an official spokesman said the holding of large public meetings was generally inadvisable due to the possibility of bomb attacks. Political parties should refrain from holding public meetings and rallies and any violation of the ban would be dealt "with the full force of law", he said.

Bhutto also said that her party would not attend a session of the National Assembly convened at 5 pm today by President Pervez Musharraf and would instead stage a protest outside Parliament along with other opposition parliamentarians. She will also chair a meeting of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy today to discuss ways to oppose the emergency and to press the government to hold the general election as scheduled by mid-January.

Source : PTI