04 April 2004	Sunday	13 Safar 1425

HYDERABAD, April 3: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief organizer Aijaz Shafi has said the country is facing crisis but President Gen Pervez Musharraf is least bothered about integrity and solidarity of the country and his objective is to prolong his rule.

Speaking at a news conference at a hotel here on Saturday, he also ridiculed the government claim that foreign reserves had reached $12 billion and said the government had purchased Rs1.5 billion Euro bonds at 6.75 per cent against the market rate of 1.50 per cent.

He said unemployment and price hike had crossed all limits and sanctity of the Constitution had been violated by making the Legal Framework Order a part of it.

Answering a question about the operation in Wana, the PML-N leader said his party was against the operation.

When asked why party leader Nawaz Sharif was reluctant to return to the country, he said he could not return as his passport was not being renewed.

About Shahbaz Sharif, he said he was waiting in London to come back but the irony was that on the one hand warrants for his arrest were being issued by the court and on the other, he was not being allowed to return.

Replying to a question about Javed Hashmi, the PML-N leader said his trial was being held inside jail and he was not being brought to the court as the government wanted to avoid protests by party activists.

He said allegations levelled against Mr Hashmi were false.

Mr Shafi said he had been assigned by Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Syed Ghaus Ali Shah the task to reorganize the party in Sindh.

He said a 30-member organizing committee had been constituted and nine more members would included in the committee. He said the committee members would visit every nook and corner of Sindh to muster support for the party.

Former Sindh Governor Mamnoon Hussain, Saleem Zia, Zain Ansari, Zahid Rafiq Butt and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.