August 26, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-us-Sani 27, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have expressed their complete confidence in the leadership of Benazir Bhutto and decided to expose what they called the “corruption” of some army generals.

Senator Farhatullah Babar and party’s central information secretary Taj Haider while briefing newsmen, after a meeting of the PPP central and provincial office-bearers, here on Monday said the party had obtained “proof” of the involvement of army generals in corruption.

Mr Babar has recently arrived from London after seeking advice from Benazir Bhutto on political and party’s internal matters.

The PPP leaders said this “proof” would be presented before the public soon. They regretted that few “greedy generals” were bringing bad name to the army which they said was otherwise a respectable institution. “The PPP is not against the army institution, but it is against those generals who are busy in amassing wealth and spending the country’s resources on personal welfare,” they added.

Taj Haider narrated how the army “grabbed” land in the name of defence society in Karachi, despite severe opposition by the Sindh government. He said the army had acquired 248 acres in the Defence Housing Scheme at the rate of just Rs20 per square yard.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) had stayed the move and called for an evaluation of the land on the request of the provincial government. As a result of the court’s decision, the evaluation was made and the prices were fixed at Rs15,000 per square yard for residential and Rs25,000 per yard for commercial units.

Mr Haider said Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro, who was governor of Sindh at that time, in a cabinet meeting had announced withdrawal of the case on behalf of the Sindh government and decided to give the land to the army.

The PPP leaders “condemned” the military government for launching “character-assassination campaign against Ms Bhutto” and vowed to defend her inside and outside parliament.

Those who attended the meeting included Jahangir Badar, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qasim Zia, Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Khoro, Ihsanul Haq Piracha and Munawwar Suharwardy.

Jahangir Badar presided over the meeting as Makhdoom Amin Fahim was in Hala due to the murder of his relative.