April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

KARACHI, April 16: Ghous Bux Mehar, a central leader of the Pakistan Muslim

League-Q, has denied that he and his like-minded legislators in the Sindh Assembly were in the process of forming a “forward bloc”.

Addressing a press conference, along with PML-Q youth wing chief Aleem Adil Shaikh, at his residence here on Wednesday, he clarified that his recent contacts with PML-N Sindh chief Syed Ghous Ali Shah in London and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah were nothing more than routine political meetings. He said he had been maintaining such contacts even when his party was in power.

Mr Mehar recalled that he had been with the Pakistan People’s Party during the period it was in the opposition and Jam Sadiq Ali was the chief minister of Sindh.

“Even in those days I did not switch my loyalties,” he said, adding that he believed in the politics of principles and considered it unethical to quit a party that was no more in power.

He said he and his party colleagues would continue to support the governments in the Centre and the provinces, adding that the new civilian setup must be allowed to function to prevent any undemocratic force from derailing the democratic process.

In reply to a question, he expressed his displeasure over the arrest of PML-Q leader Altaf Hussain Unnar in a firing case, and advised the government not to indulge in political vendetta.