June 23, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 22: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said here on Thursday that a letter written by some party MNAs was not directed against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz but was meant to subvert the present system.

Commenting on a newspaper report, that 56 party MNAs had sent a letter to the prime minister complaining that they had not been allowed to take part in the budget debate and that their proposals had been ignored, Mr Hussain said the prime minister had not received the letter but an investigation had been initiated to ascertain the motive of the legislators and to take suitable action.

The ruling PML chief, who was talking to jounalists after the National Assembly session was prorogued, was asked about rumours of a change in government. He said: “We will not tolerate any conspiracy against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.”

The letter, reportedly written by minority MNA M. P. Bhindara, says parliament hadbecome a ‘rubber stamp’ as they were denied the right to speak on the budget.

The PML chief said the matter would be addressed properly since the letter was aimed at damaging the system.

He said the issue of president’s uniform and his re-election as president by present assemblies would be resolved in accordance with the constitution.

When asked about plans for a new constitution, he said: “No new constitution will ever be framed.”

He said “it would be cruel if the 1973 Constitution was abandoned or an attempt was made to alter it”.

The 1973 Constitution, he said, was the only consensus document at the moment. “Those talking about changing the constitution are not well-wishers of Pakistan,” he added.

Referring to a recent agreement among opposition parties to launch a joint struggle against the military-led government, he said there was no possibility of any movement against the government.

He said the government always remained in contact with opposition parties, adding that it was indirectly in touch with Nawaz Sharif’s party, but not with Benazir Bhutto.

When asked to comment on allegations that no parliamentary party meeting had been held before the budget was prepared or presented, and said that two meetings had been held in which party leadership had been taken into confidence.