February 07, 2008	Thursday	Muharram 28, 1429

GUJRAT, Feb 6: Antone C Greubel, the political and economic officer at the United States (US) Consulate in Lahore, met candidates of various political parties, including the PPP, the PML-N and the PML-Q, here on Wednesday and discussed with them matters relating to the general election.

The diplomat went to Kothi Nawab Sahib where he met PPP central executive council member and candidate for NA-104, Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gull, and then called on former federal minister and PPP candidate for NA-105 Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar.

The American diplomat also called on District Nazim Shafaat Husain and former Punjab education minister and PML-Q candidate for PP-111 Mian Imran Masood. Gull and Mukhtar apprised Greubel of the conduct of local police and administration allegedly skewed in favour of PML-Q candidates to afford them maximum benefit.

They expressed their apprehensions about holding of transparent polling, and said there was no possibility of free and fair elections in Gujrat.

Later, Gull told reporters that he had asked the American diplomat that his country should adopt a policy friendly towards the people of Pakistan instead of only towards dictators and rulers

He said he informed the visiting diplomat that corruption and embezzlement during the PML-Q government had consumed billions of rupees the US had granted to Pakistan during the past five years.

Gull said he would file a reference against his rival candidate and former MNA Wajahat Husain of the PML-Q to get him disqualified in the light of the statement of Wajahat’s elder brother and PML-Q chief Shujaat Husain appeared in a section of press about Wajahat’s ordeal at a United Kingdom airport.

He said Shujaat had stated that his brother had been quizzed about his alleged links with terrorists and transactions of huge money to Spain from Pakistan.