October 30, 2007	Tuesday	Shawwal 17, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 29: Leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly Qasim Zia says by repeating unfounded charges against Ms Benazir Bhutto, the ruling PML leaders have been vitiating the atmosphere of political harmony that the PPP had tried to create by adopting policy of national reconciliation.

Addressing a press conference along with PPP’s former information secretary Naveed Chaudhry here on Monday, Mr Zia took a strong exception to the chief minister’s recent tirade against PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

He said no government could prove even a single corruption charge against Ms Bhutto, her husband and other PPP leaders in spite of using the state machinery during the last 11 years.

He said the ruling party and its leadership have brought the province on the verge of bankruptcy.

He alleged the rulers had miserably failed to control the increasing crime and rising poverty because they were busy amassing illegal money.

He said the PPP leadership had reached an understanding with the government in order to strengthen democracy in the country and to pave the way for fair and free elections.

He claimed the ruling party did not have any candidate to contest the forthcoming elections from Lahore and was now importing hopefuls from other cities.

In Sindh, he said, the ruling party was trying to woo Pir Pagara who had been accusing the Chaudhrys from Gujrat of corruption and other misdeeds. He said the ruling party also did not have any person to project as its candidate for the office of prime minister. On the other hand, he said, the PPP was working to make Ms Bhutto prime minister for the third term.

He was hopeful that the PPP would be able to secure two-thirds majority in parliament for amending the Constitution to remove the bar on Ms Bhutto’s becoming prime minister for a third term.

The PPP leaders also accused the chief minister of spending Rs8 billion from the taxpayers’ money on his personal publicity during the last five years. Of this amount, he spent Rs4 billion on his publicity and his party’s election campaign from July to September this year.

“In addition to this, the government has also transferred Rs1.23 billion to the provincial Directorate General, Public Relations, to run the ruling party’s publicity campaign,” Naveed Chaudhry alleged.

He said various provincial departments had been asked to cough up funds for the TV and newspaper campaigns being run to improve the rulers’ image ahead of general elections.