LAHORE, Dec 30: The PPP has declared 2005 the year of failure of the government, economic instability in the country and vindictive actions against political leadership.

At a news conference here on Friday, Punjab PPP information secretary Naveed Chaudhry said the image of the country had been tarnished during the present regime. Pakistan had become the 13th most corrupt country in the world, he alleged.

He alleged the delegation which went to attend the WTO conference under the leadership of federal minister Humayun Akhtar stayed in the most costly hotels and used luxury cars.

He said the NAB was given Rs670 million in the federal budget, but it could not recover even a single penny during the year. It did not take any action against the nazims involved in Rs7 billion corruption cases, he claimed.

He said it was revealed on television that American dollars were being received for the Wana operation, but there was no record of the funds.

He said the federal ministers did not achieve the performance targets given to them by the prime minister. Inflation increased to 12 per cent, and the country was also suffering a trade deficit of Rs1 billion every month. The interest rate increased from four per cent to 12 per cent, and 100 industrial units closed down. The size of domestic loan too was increased.

He said the parliamentary committee on dams failed to evolve a consensus and the privatization of the PTCL failed. The government received only $284 million as a result of the donors conference, spending more on its arrangements.

He said the prices of sugar were increased, and the government had to allow import of vegetables. The government failed to provide jobs and rendered thousands of people jobless.

He said 2006 would be the year of general elections, and Ms Benazir Bhutto would return to the country before that.