05 March 2005	Saturday	23 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, March 4: Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Senior Vice-President Syed Kabir Ali Wasti has said there are certain elements within the ruling coalition who are active in subverting whatever President Gen Pervez Musharraf stands for.

The PML leader, in a statement issued here on Friday, urged President Musharraf to have a look on his political team to assess whether they were an asset or a liability to carry forward his concept of making Pakistan a modern, enlightened and moderate Muslim welfare state.

He said the latest episode in the National Assembly in which treasury members, including some ministers, stood by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to defeat a bill moved by one of their colleagues to tighten the law on honour killing was a testimony to the perfidy of this group.

Mr Wasti said the endorsement of MMA's stance on insertion of religion column in new passport; the ban on Aga Khan University Board in the Punjab; statement by the Punjab government counsel in high court that there was nothing wrong with a husband marrying a second wife without consent of the first one; were all indicative of a virtually open revolt and defiance of President Musharraf's concept of enlightened moderation.

He said these elements were also obstructing the president's initiative for national reconciliation designed to bring about political stability and eliminate extremism and fanaticism from national polity.

The PML leader welcomed party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's statement that Kashmala Tariq should reintroduce her bill to make honour killing non-compoundable and remove other loopholes in the existing law that allowed killers of their young girls escape punishment.

He said Chaudhry Shujaat should take strong disciplinary action against those members of the party who had voted with the MMA to defeat a progressive legislation. "It must be realized that these members are of no use to the party as they would play the role of trojan horse and destroy the coalition from within. "Such a purge is necessary otherwise they would inflict irreparable damage to the nation."