On 27 May 1999 the Research Directorate sent the following questions to the PPP in Islamabad, Pakistan:

What information is contained on the PPP membership card (eg: name of bearer, permanent address, photograph, bearer's signature, signature of the PPP issuing authority, etc). Does the PPP verify any of the information provided by the member, and if so, how?

What are the requirements and procedures to obtain a PPP membership card? How long is the PPP membership card valid and how is it renewed?

What is the name and position of the current PPP issuing authority and where is s/he located? How long has s/he had the authority to sign these membership cards?

Has the PPP ever refused to issue a membership card and if so, on what grounds? How often has this occurred since January 1998?

Can a PPP member be asked to leave the PPP, and if so, on what grounds? In such a case, would the person be requested to turn in their membership card?

Does the PPP maintain a membership list, and if so, how often is it updated and by whom?

In a 9 June 1999 fax, Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Secretary General of the PPP Islamabad, Pakistan, provided the following answers to those questions:

The PPP Card is signed by the district president after verifying the bonafide of the member.

The concerned person has to be a voter of his ward. The membership card is valid till the next election. The last election was held in 1992.

Answer to query number 3 has been answered in question one.

If a man wants to join PPP he is allowed to as he has to buy his membership for a small sum of Rs.2.

A PPP member can be thrown out if he is working against the party interest.

PPP does not maintain a nationwide membership list but we have started this exercise in the province of Sindh.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Secretary General, PPP Islamabad, Pakistan. 9 June 1999. Fax to the Research Directorate.