January 15, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 05, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Jan 14: Election campaign of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate from a National Assembly seat of the capital, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, on Monday got a real boost when his party chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif made a brief stopover at Bhara Kahu on his way to Lahore from Murree and addressed a public meeting.

Though the public meeting was not scheduled, it managed to pull an impressive crowd and the people from the adjoining villages and localities gathered to listen to the speech of the former prime minister.

The PML-N candidate from the other National Assembly constituency of Islamabad, Anjum Aqeel Khan, was also present on the occasion.

During his speech, Mr Sharif lashed out at the Chaudhrys of Gujrat for, what he called, issuing provocative statements against him and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

He alleged that the statements of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi against the PPP after assassination of Ms Bhutto were like sprinkling salt on the wounds. Moreover, he said, such statements were detrimental for the federation.

Mr Sharif declared that it was wrong to call the PML-Q a political party as it was a “group of people with vested interests”.

He alleged that former prime minister Shaukat Aziz had run away from the country after amassing wealth. He vowed to recover each and every penny from Mr Aziz after coming into power. He said the cycle (election symbol of the PML-Q) would be punctured on February 18 and no one would be available to mend it.

The PML-N chief lamented that the PML-Q had put the country into deep crisis. He said the rulers had made the country bankrupt and people were yearning for basic amenities like flour, electricity and gas. He said the Musharraf regime had put the country’s security and prestige at stake.

He said his government had served the country by undertaking various uplift schemes, including construction of motorway. He said it was during his government that Pakistan became a nuclear power. He said atta was available for Rs7 per kilogramme during his government which was now being sold at Rs22-24 per kilogramme.

Mr Sharif urged the people not to vote for the party which was responsible for the bloodshed in Lal Masjid, Swat, tribal areas and Balochistan.

The PML-N leader said his party would foil the designs of the regime to rig the forthcoming general elections. “We will not allow Musharraf to rig the elections. We will never accept him as constitutional president,” he said.

Mr Sharif reiterated his demand for formation of a national unity government to hold free, fair and transparent polls. He, however, said his party would not accept a national government under President Musharraf. He said he had never accepted Musharraf as president.

Mr Sharif alleged that the PML-N rally was fired upon in Karal Chowk on Islamabad Highway and a plot was allegedly devised to kill him.