October 2, 2003	Thursday	Sha’aban 5, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: People’s Party Parliamentarians General Secretary MNA Raja Pervez Ashraf has said General Musharraf during his recent US visit may have raised the issue of his personal security with President Bush and not the issue of national security as claimed by information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said the vilification campaign launched by Mr Ahmed against the most popular leader of the country was indicative of the fact that General Musharraf did not get what he had hoped from his US visit.

The PPP leader said someone should apprise Mr Rashid of the recent decision taken by the Commonwealth, which had once again refused Pakistan the restoration of its membership.

“Relations with all our neighbours, India, Iran and Afghanistan, which was once considered to be the strategic depth by the ‘myopic’ leadership, are at the lowest ebb under the military junta.

“If this is not an isolation then what else could make this regime realize that the world community does not accept the military government,” the PPP leader said.

Mr Ashraf asked the information minister to remain in his shoes while talking about the PPP leadership because Benazir Bhutto was not only the most popular leader of the people of Pakistan but also a world leader who “is regularly invited by the world forums to deliver speeches on international issues”.