January 05, 2008	Saturday	Zilhaj 25, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has welcomed the formation of a high-powered commission as proposed by President Pervez Musharraf and offered his party’s full support in providing information about the damage caused to private and government property during riots which followed the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Talking to newsmen after presiding over a meeting of PML-Q senators here on Friday, he said a large number of people had informed the party’s leadership about the losses suffered by them when PPP workers ransacked and destroyed public property. He said the information would be forwarded to the commission which would asses the extent of losses.

PML-Q information secretary Senator Tariq Azeem Khan told Dawn that the senators had assured the leadership that their services would be available to party’s candidates in their areas.

The senators discussed threats emanating from PPP workers during the election campaign.

Chaudhry Shujaat said he did not want confrontation and still favoured a policy of reconciliation but the response from the Pakistan People’s Party was not encouraging.

He supported the decision of inviting the Scotland Yard to assist the investigators into the assassination. Replying to a question, he said it was not possible to accept the demand for an investigation by the United Nations because it required a UN resolution.

He said the loss of Sindh was the loss of the whole country.

He said he wanted to send a delegation to Naudero to offer condolences, but the decision had been deferred in view of the attitude of the PPP. The PML-Q leadership asked its followers, including the senators, to avoid the politics of confrontation in the present situation.

PPI adds: He also said that if the PPP continued to level baseless allegations, his party would also present its viewpoint before the Scotland Yard investigation team.

“If the PPP continues its blame game, we will become a party and present our point of view during investigation process,” he said.