20000107

CTBT signing should

be linked to remission

of loans: Leghari

RECORDER REPORT

MULTAN: The government should take the nuclear scientists, armed forces, politicians and religious leaders into confidence before signing the CTBT and Pakistan should bet its foreign debts written of as pre-condition to signing this treaty, said Farooq Ahmed Khan Leaghri chief of Pakistan Millat Party on Thursday.

Criticising the foreign minister and foreign office for a weak stance on CTBT, he said that foreign minister had written a number of articles against signing the CTBT in past but now he was favouring it.

To a question Leghari said that Pakistan cannot afford military politics and democracy must be restored as soon as possible through free fair and transparent elections. He reiterated that Pakistan should not lose a golden chance of getting foreign debts of 33 billion dollars remained.

He said that military government did not take any action against those who got their loans written of and those bankers who abetted in the crime.

He further said rulers were bound to investigate the foreign accounts of bureaucrats, generals, and politicians which are of more than 100 billion dollars. He said that accountability should be ruthless and a continuous process.