04 September 2004	Saturday	18 Rajab 1425

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LAHORE, Sept 3: Punjab PPP Information Secretary Naveed Chaudhry on Friday expressed disappointment over the composition of new federal cabinet and the allotment of portfolios , saying "good governance and merit" Shaukat Aziz had promised to the nation stood fully exposed.

"His countdown has started with his takeover," he said in a statement, predicting that the government could fall anytime. He recalled that the PML had repeatedly said that the interior ministry would be given to some PML man. "But a bunch of blackmailers had frustrated the move," he said in an obvious reference to the pressure mounted by the leaders belonging to a breakaway faction of the PPP.

Similarly, he said, the former interior minister had been given another sensitive ministry (of Kashmir) despite the fact that serious corruption allegations had been made against him.

Former industries minister who, the PPP leader said, was being held responsible for various problems in the automobile sector, had now been given another important assignment.

It was ironical, he said, that neither the new prime minister nor the NAB could see what he called rampant corruption. Naveed Chaudhry said the prime minister would not be able to come up to the expectations of the people and collapse anytime. A man who could not cleanse the party stables could not be expected to purge society of corruption," he said.

About the election on a Senate seat due to be held on Sept 13, the PPP leader said the PML-N, not the ARD, had put up a candidate against the ruling party contestant.

Meanwhile, JI leader Hafiz Mohammad Idrees also criticized the induction of those ministers into the cabinet against whom corruption cases were still pending. In a statement, he said the economy was already in a difficult condition and the presence of "corrupt ministers" would aggravate the situation.