July 01, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 26, 1429

KARACHI, June 30: Federal Minister of Information, Sherry Rehman, who also holds the portfolio of health, has said that the country is faced with serious internal and external crises and threats which were particularly affecting the poor people. She attributed the situation to the previous government’s policies that, according to her, had ruined the economy.

She was speaking at a ceremony held here on Monday to hand over tricycles and motorbikes to special citizens. The ceremony was organised by the Disabled Welfare Association.

Ms Rehman recalled that the masses had been facing power and flour crises and surging inflation for years but the previous government did not take any steps to overcome them. They did not install even a single power generation plant, she added.

At an open kutchehri held in Keamari, the minister announced that a hospital would be established in the town and named after Benazir Bhutto.

She said the purpose of holding such open kutchehries was to ascertain people’s problems and resolve them without any delay.

She received applications from people and issued directives for immediate action.

She said that the cheques of compensation meant for the heirs of those who had lost their lives in the Karsaz blast during Benazir Bhutto’s welcome rally in Karachi on October 18 were ready for distribution.

The cheques, she added, were with the Sindh chief minister, who would hand them over to the people concerned soon.—PPI/APP