August 17, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 18, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 16: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has demanded sacking of Petroleum Minister Chaudhry Noraiz Shakoor and initiating of a parliamentary inquiry into the chartering of a ship that was “clearly not seaworthy”.

In a statement issued by the PPP media office here on Saturday, Ms Bhutto called it a matter of serious concern that “a ship mysteriously brought to the shore of Karachi broke up and was posing serious environmental threat”.

She said the “hidden hands behind chartering of the ship” should be exposed, saying: “Suspicion of corrupt practices in chartering of a ship that was not seaworthy could not be ruled out.”

“Presumably an aging vehicle costing less can be shown to have been hired at a higher rate. That is why an inquiry in the public interest is necessary,” Ms Bhutto said.

She said the PPP demanded sacking of the minister though she hardly expected the demand to be met, as “Gen Musharraf needed defectors”.

Ms Bhutto also condemned the military regime for failure to begin urgent measures to meet the disaster and for not quickly bringing in the Pakistan Navy. As a result, she said, the marine life had been badly affected undermining the livelihood of poor fishermen.

The PPP chairperson said the fishermen had not been paid any compensation so far despite demands made by her party’s leaders in Karachi.