23 February 2005	Wednesday	13 Muharram 1426

LAHORE, Feb 22: Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was quoted as saying here on Tuesday that his party was against a military operation in Balochistan.

Talking to reporters on the premises of an accountability court through intermediary MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Mr Hashmi said that only a political solution to Balochistan was advisable because the establishment of military cantonments and use of force there would endanger the federation which was already under threat.

Any adventurism in Balochistan would endanger the unity of the state, he said, adding the PML-N wanted that the rulers should only hold talks with Baloch leaders for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Mr Hashmi was produced in the court amid tight security and police kept reporters away from Mr Hashmi, who was already serving a term of 23 years in prison for sedition.

Some PML-N leaders, including MNAs Tehmina Daultana and Khwaja Saad Rafiq, were allowed to meet the jailed leader along with Advocate Naseer Ahmad Bhutta, who was contesting by-election for a National Assembly seat (NA-127) from Lahore as joint candidate of the ARD and the MMA.

Mr Rafiq also quoted Mr Hashmi as saying that he would play a positive role in PML-N's reorganization which, he said, was being misused by certain opportunists to take control of the party. He said that those who had offered sacrifices for the party were being sidelined.

"Mr Hashmi says that he will not allow this to happen", Mr Rafiq added. Meanwhile, Advocate Manzoor Ahmad Malik cross-examined two prosecution witnesses again in an accountability court in a reference against the ARD president.

The witnesses were summoned again by the NAB court after it accepted an application of the PML-N leader that the cross-examination of prosecution witnesses in the absence of the accused was not permitted in the law.

Mr Hashmi was present in the court when the witnesses were cross-examined for the second time. The NAB court, comprising Shafqaat Ali Sajid, summoned three more prosecution witnesses on March 5 when the hearing in the reference will resume.

Mr Hashmi is facing charges in a reference which says that he purchased property with the money which he allegedly got beyond his known sources of income and transferred it in the name of his close relatives and family members.

The wife, six daughters, a son-in-law and two brothers of Mr Hashmi are alleged to be beneficiaries, in one way or the other, of the assets valuing about Rs38 million, which the political leader is accused of acquiring with ill-gotten money amassed during the period of 1991 and 1999 by allegedly misusing his official authority from time to time.

The PML-N acting president was flown to Lahore for production in the court from the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, where he was serving 23-year term for sedition.