July 30, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 26, 1429

KARACHI, July 29: Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) chief Pir Pagara has said he foresees no improvement in the prevailing economic conditions in the country.

He said the government was crumbling and needed no one give it a push. Those highlighting its misdeeds were actually working to keep a check on its mismanagement and were not striving to pull it down, he added.

Pir Pagara was talking to a group of journalists after his meeting with President of the Awami Muslim League Shaikh Rashid Ahmad, who called on him at his Kingri House in KDA Scheme No 1 on Tuesday afternoon.

Answering a question, he said the present rulers had assumed power after 11 years of “deprivation” and the way they were handling the situation was quite expected of them.

In the PPP government, opposition people would continue landing in prisons on charges of trafficking of narcotics, he said.

He recalled that he had given three months to the PPP government to survive, but now it was “functioning on a bonus”.

The PML-F chief said Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani could not be blamed for the ISI mess-up as it was not his fault but that of Asif Ali Zardari. He recalled that he too had nominated a prime minister and a chief minister in the past but after their appointment he had never interfered in their work.

Responding to another question, he said the PPP did not exist any longer and those elected owed their success to the PPP Parliamentary Party, whose chairman was Makhdoom Amin Fahim. He said Mr Fahim had the sole right over the PPP.

He said he saw Pervez Musharraf as future president of the Pakistan Muslim League but refused to identify the faction he would lead, saying that he would become president of a PML faction, whichever he chose.

When his attention was drawn towards the coming sun eclipse, he said it would be a bad omen for the ruling PPP.

He repeated his prediction that the deposed judges would not be restored. However, he said, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was a lucky fellow, basking in the pomp and show of a movement.

As for the future of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, he said, he would be led into his own home as former governor-general Ghulam Mohammad was taken to his daughter’s home.

About Shaikh Rashid, he said his future was bright as he was far better than many of the present ministers.

In reply to a question, Shaikh Rashid said he had come to the Pir to seek his blessings, and thanked him for his good wishes for his party. The present government had completed four months, which was a big achievement for it, he said, as their genius could be well assessed from their attempt to bring 11 army generals under a retired Grade 20 officer.