27 February 2004	Friday	06 Muharram 1425

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: Pakistan Muslim League-N Information Secretary Mohammad Siddiqul Farooque on Thursday said price hike, unemployment, lawlessness, increase in suicide incidents and shortage of flour in the country had exposed the poor policies of the government.

In a statement issued by the party media centre, Mr Farooque said today people were remembering the days of the PML-N government when Pakistan not only became self-reliant in wheat but was also in a position to export the crop.

He said the rulers were terming their four-year rule as a golden period, while on the other hand, the facts and figures proved that despite former president Farooq Leghari's conspiracies and sanctions due to nuclear tests, the period between 1997 and 1999 was a golden period for the country. He termed the Jamali-Musharraf era the blackest chapter in the history of the country.

Giving statistics, Mr Farooque said during the PML-N government, flour was available at Rs8 per kilogramme. Today, he said, flour was not available to the people even at Rs12 per kg.

Similarly, he said, sugar was being sold today at Rs21 per kg and ghee at Rs79 per kg, while these were available at Rs18 and Rs50 per kg respectively during the tenure of Pakistan Muslim League.