December 28, 2007	Friday	Zilhaj 17, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Dec 27: Former prime minister and leader of PML-N Nawaz Sharif rushed to the Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) to console the Pakistan People’s Party worker over the assassination of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto in a suicide attack soon after she left Liaquat Bagh after addressing a large rally here on Thursday.

Mr Sharif, who was present in the city for his party’s election campaign, reached the RGH from the nearby Sadiqabad area and shared his grief with the PPP workers gathered at the hospital after the doctors announced the death of their leader.

The visibly shaken PML-N leader condoled with the party leadership present there including Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Sherry Rehman, Naheed Khan and Rehman Malik.

He assured the PPP leaders that they were not alone in this moment of anguish and added that he would go to any extent in supporting the grief-stricken PPP workers. Any further decision about the future political strategy would be made in consultation with the central leadership of PPP, said Nawaz Sharif.

As soon as the emotionally-charged PPP workers saw PML-N leader among them, they started chanting anti-Musharraf and anti-Q League slogans and Mr Sharif responded to their voices and assured them of his support. Local PML-N leaders also accompanied him during the visit.

Mian Nawaz Sharif prior to his visit to the RGH declared that he had halted his election campaign till further decision after his party workers gathered at Islamabad Highway to welcome him came under gun attack allegedly from PML-Q workers that resulted in the death of four PML-N activists.

Talking to a private TV channel, the former prime minister said no one was safe in the country when political opponents were being shot at. He added that no one could guarantee free and fair elections under the circumstances. He said the government had failed in protecting the life and basic rights of people.

The atmosphere outside the RGH was very charged and the angry PPP workers put the banners and portraits of PML-Q contestants on fire and raised anti-government slogans.