LAHORE, Aug 17: PML-N Chief Coordinator Ahsan Iqbal says the present system is bound to collapse because of its in-built contradictions and the new dispensation will help normalize the situation in the country.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, he said parliament stood paralyzed because of the LFO controversy and there was little possibility of its being able to complete its 130 days in session, which is a constitutional requirement. Similarly, he said, the opposition would not let Gen Musharraf address the joint session of parliament and thus another provision of the Constitution would go unmet.

This, he said, would mean that the system was not working. But, he said, there was no possibility of a new martial law even if the assemblies were sacked.

Ahsan Iqbal said the nation respected the army as a defence force. But, he said, it was being criticized because of its involvement in political affairs. The day it withdrew itself to its original duties, nobody would target the army any more, he believed.

He said it was Gen Musharraf whose political ambitions were bringing a bad name to the army as an institution.

Gen Musharraf, he said, was lavishing favours on his fellow generals to keep his “constituency” with him. But the very same thing was also providing the critics with an opportunity to target the army and its boss.

Ahsan Iqbal recalled that army’s involvement in political affairs adversely affected its fighting capability in the past and this had also been mentioned in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report. He said national interest required that the recommendations of the Commission should be adhered to in letter and spirit and the army should go back to the barracks without delay.

In response to a question, the PML-N leader said the Musharraf rule had helped his party get rid of feudals and opportunists who he said had joined hands with the government. He said now loyal and sincere leaders were left with the PML-N who were determined to change the destiny of the country once they got an opportunity to come to power.

He said in the absence of opportunists, the PML-N had emerged as a symbol of social change.

During the Musharraf rule, he said, the party had learnt many lessons and it had identified the mistakes it had committed while in power.

He said if voted to power, the party would not repeat the past mistakes.

Ahsan Iqbal said that there was a positive change in the attitude of the party towards its rivals and now the PML-N faced no problem in working with its once arch rival PPP.

He rejected official claims that the economy had improved a lot and that the increase in the foreign exchange reserves was indicative of this improvement.

In fact, he said, remittances from overseas Pakistanis had gone up and this was the major reason behind the increase in the foreign exchange reserves.

He said it was unfortunate that instead of using the money for the establishment of new industries, people were in a race to buy plots because of which land prices had shot up within no time.