September 04, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 3, 1429

PESHAWAR, Sept 3: PML-Q’s presidential candidate Mushahid Hussain Syed has asked PPP’s co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari to declare his assets prior to the presidential election.

“Mr Zardari has been using the state machinery in election campaign. He has resorted to horse-trading to win the elections and ministries were being offered to lawmakers belonging to rival political parties,” he said at a news conference at the residence of former federal minister Amir Muqam here on Wednesday.

He also alleged that Mr Zardari was using the Prime Minister’s House for his election campaign and called it a gross violation of the code of conduct set forth by the Election Commission.

He said that the people should put pressure on their elected representatives to vote for the most appropriate person.

Mr Hussain said he had already declared his assets and the other two contestants should do the same.

He accused Mr Zardari of siphoning off million of dollars into foreign banks and said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance had paved way for corrupt people to rule the country. He challenged his rivals to a debate on crucial national issues and said he would quit the presidential race if he lost the debate.

Mr Mushahid Hussain condemned the alleged US attack on Angoor Adda in South Waziristan and said it was the first ground attack in Pakistan that directly targeted civilian population.

He held the present government responsible for the crisis in the country and said that the rulers had forgotten the promises they had made with the masses during their election campaign regarding restoration of peace in Fata.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who accompanied Mr Hussain said that his party was intact despite the resignation of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Four of the six MPAs of PML-Q and an independent MPA in the provincial assembly were present on the occasion.