SUKKUR, Oct 10: PML-N leader Mamnoon Hussain said here on Sunday that former president Pervez Musharraf's recent speeches in the UK had tarnished Pakistan's image and maligned armed forces. He said that Pakistan suffered from the unconstitutional takeover by Pervez Musharraf on October 12, 1999, and was still struggling to solve the problems left by him.

Talking to journalists at the circuit house, Mr Hussain said that Musharraf would have to answer a lot of questions about misdeeds of his tenure, like the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti, massacre of students of Lal Masjid, operation in Balochistan and a humiliating surrender to the US on a phone call from Washington after September 1, 2001.

He criticised the PPP government's domestic and foreign policies which, he said, had affected the country's credibility.

He said that the PML-N was opposed to extra-constitutional measures for changing the government but added that an in-house change was in the offing.

He said that like-minded political parties were holding talks which would produce a positive result. He said the PML-N would welcome Pir Pagara's meeting with Nawaz Sharif in Lahore in a couple of days.

He said that trade and business circles were perturbed over the economic situation, which might push the country to a state of default.