LAHORE, May 28: PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain said here on Sunday that he would use his powers given by the party constitution and order the election for the top slot of the party through secret ballot in case any leader contested against him.

Speaking to journalists at a ceremony, he said everybody, including former prime minister Zafarullah Jamali, was free to challenge him in the election, due to be held on Aug 12, and in case the contest was between two or more candidates, the option of secret ballot rather than show of hands would be exercised.

He said the exiled leaders were free to come to Pakistan. But he made it clear that Benazir Bhutto or Mian Nawaz Sharif would not return home and their utterances in this regard were propaganda aimed at misleading their followers.

Mr Shujaat said Dr A.Q Khan and other nuclear scientists were heroes of the nation and none would be handed over to any other country.

President Musharraf, he said, had also made it clear that on no account scientists would have been turned over to any country.

The PML president said “Youm-i-Takbeer” was a matter of great pride for the entire nation and it was also celebrated by the government.

He said the government was aware of the problems being faced by the common man on account of price hike. He pledged that steps would be taken in new federal and provincial budgets to address the problem.

The new budget would be poor-friendly and at the same time business-friendly, he said.

Chaudhry Shujaat also met with an LCCI delegation and said the people responsible for price hike would be proceeded against.

PDP: The Pakistan Democratic Party has criticized President Musharraf for addressing political meetings organised by the ruling PML, and urged the chief election commissioner to take notice of this unlawful activity.

At a meeting held here on Sunday with Nawabzada Mansoor Khan in the chair, the participants praised the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed by Nawaz Sharif and Ms Benazir Bhutto. However, they said the document could be improved in the light of suggestions from ARD parties.

The PDP leaders said the late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, the architect of the ARD, had laid the foundation for the CoD. They said the credit for preparing the CoD went to the leader who was no longer in the world.