20000215

Asghar backs

Gen Musharraf's

policies

RECORDER REPORT

SUKKUR: Tehrik Istiqlal Chairman, Air Marshal Asghar Khan (Retd) said that local bodies elections will be held by the end of the current year, which would be followed by the general elections in the year 2001, as he speculated.

Addressing a public meeting here on Sunday evening Asghar Khan said that the former rulers of PPP and PML looted 90 billion dollars from the national exchequer due to which the country was faced with economic crisis.

He said the Gen. Musharraf's government should give timeframe of one month to the looters to bring back the deposits from the foreign countries failing which they should be clearly warned that their properties and assets in Pakistan would be confiscated and the foreign loans will be paid back from the money so recovered from their confiscated assets.

The Tehrik Istiqlal chief said the country was dismembered due to defective policies of the politicians, when Bangalis had won the general elections in 1971 the powers should have been given to them but it was not done and the country lost one wing.

He said since the creation of Pakistan landlords and capitalists remained holding the power, they always thought about their personal gains and never thought of the poor masses.

Asghar Khan said that we have been struggling for the interest of poor masses from the Tehrik Istiqlal platform, that is why the people now were attracting towards this party and by the grace of God we would come victorious in the coming general elections.

He said when we would be in power a new era of progress and prosperity of the country would dawn, where there would be no looting of the national wealth, no one would commit suicide due to poverty, and jobs would be provided on merit and qualifications.

Asghar Khan fully endorsed the policies of Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf and hoped that his seven-point agenda when completed the country would be free of foreign debts and complete peace and tranquillity would prevail.