November 12, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 6, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Chief coordinator of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the politicians are not responsible for creating hurdles in the way of government formation.

In a statement issued here, he said the Legal Framework Order was a hurdle in the way of democracy.

If the PML (Quaid-i-Azam) had secured majority in the National Assembly, why was it not being convened, he asked.

He said even the foreign envoys were participating in the government formation but the National Assembly had been left out of the process.

A ready made formula would be laid before the National Assembly on which the members would be authorised only to raise their hands, he said.

He said the government would not transfer power as it believed only in power sharing.

Ahsan Iqbal said that the manner in which President Gen Pervez Musharraf was taking dictation from foreign sources was not even prevalent in the “banana republics”.

He said Pakistan, which was a nuclear power, was being given dictation by foreign governments employees below the level of joint secretary.

He alleged that the worst kind of horse trading had been revived while the country was facing problems caused by acute price hike and lawlessness.

The PML-N leader claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had faced American pressure on the question of signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty but the Musharraf government was seeking good wishes of President Bush for its survival.

Ahsan Iqbal criticized Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for trying to seek adjustment with the government and said it was riding two boats at the same time. He wondered why the PML-Q was negotiating with the PPP.

He said the PML-N was committed to principles and it would never accept any deal on the restoration of the 1973 Constitution and withdrawal of the LFO.