KARACHI - Bilawal House spokesman, Ijaz Durrani, has strongly refuted a news item published in a section of the Press claiming sanctioning of Rs500 million funds to establish a so-called secret cell to run a slander campaign against journalists and party rebels. In a press statement issued on Saturday, he said that PPP workers and journalists enjoyed a cordial relationship, adding that all party leaders and workers were united under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. "No party leader will even imagine to tread the way of Mumtaz Bhutto, Farooq Leghari or Mustafa Khar against the PPP", he added. Durrani described the above-mentioned news item as baseless and ridiculous which has nothing to do with facts saying the elements behind such stories were the same who planned conspiracies against the democratic governments during past 30 years and promoted 'lifafa and briefcase cultures' to weaken democracy in Pakistan. He further said that democracy could not be strengthened due to the intrigues of these elements, who have become active again and conspiring democratic government formed after huge sacrifices. He said that publication of such false stories had exposed the elements who hurled wounds on Shaheed Benazir Bhutto through her media trial. "These elements are again gathering at a platform and have started using names of honourable journalists to accomplish their dirty task, which is highly condemnable", he alleged. Bilawal House spokesman pointed out that PPP workers and journalists struggled together against dictatorship and offered great sacrifices. He added that PPP workers also fought shoulder to shoulder with the journalist community against the Musharraf dictatorship when it attacked the media. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also visited offices of all newspapers and news channels when they came under attack by the dictatorship, he concluded.