09 July 2004	Friday	20 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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ISLAMABAD, July 8: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) information secretary Mohammad Siddiqul Farooque has resented the use of what he said "abusive" language by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at a public meeting in Sindh.

In a statement here on Thursday, he said the use of abusive language was not only "shameful" but was also "misplaced." Mr Farooque said no Pakistani citizen was opposed to the armed forces of the country. However, he said, most of the people not only in Sindh but also in Punjab and other provinces disliked the political role of the army and despised the generals who had involved the armed forces in politics.

He said Chaudhry Shujaat, who liked to see everything with coloured glasses, could not perceive people's feelings against military interference in political affairs. He said the deplorable use of language belied Chaudhry Shujaat's claims to tolerance and decency.

He said Chaudhry Shujaat should realize that such behaviour could lead to retaliation in a similar manner. Meanwhile, in a separate statement, PML-N secretary-general Saranjam Zamindar and central vice-president Syed Zafar Ali Shah have condemned the reported attempt on the life of wife of Supreme Court Bar vice-president Ikram Chaudhry.

They held the government responsible for the incident and said it was a matter of grave concern. "It indicates that following mysterious killing of Abdullah Murad Baloch, Munawwar Suharwardy and Pir Binyamin Rizvi, now lawyers performing their constitutional role of protecting democracy and basic human rights were being targeted."

The PML-N leaders said Ikram Chaudhry was engaged in a laudable struggle to safeguard national interests. He is particularly fighting legal battles for the rights of nation's esteemed scientists, including Dr Abdul Qadir Khan.

There is no doubt that the military rulers who have been working on American agenda dislike his efforts in this respect, they added. They said pulling guns at Mrs Chaudhry in a busy street indicated that dislike. Had several vehicles not appeared on the scene, the attackers might have succeeded in their nefarious design, they said.