HYDERABAD, July 28: Awami Muslim League founder-leader Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that he can say with responsibility that the army has no intention of interfering in politics and it wants democratic institutions and democracy to take roots. “However, if the politicians themselves are bent upon destroying democracy and democratic institutions, then the army cannot be held responsible,” he added.

Speaking at “Meet the Press” programme at the press club here on Monday, he said that he failed to understand why the politicians are afraid of ISI. Only time will tell whether the president or some one else will be impeached, he said.

He said the government was not facing even the slightest opposition as all the parties had reposed confidence in prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani.

He, however, said that the present government had greatly disappointed the nation and even the staunch supporters of the present government were regretting their decisions having voted for the present rulers.

He said the present rulers had given nothing to the people except hunger, privatisation, unemployment, poverty and price hike. He sarcastically said that both leaders of coalition government seemed to prefer exile to their own country and even when they were in power they were living in exile.

He said the only performance of the present government during the last four months was that it had got registered thousands of cases against its political opponents, the entire development work throughout the country had come to a grinding halt, the development funds of the nazims were being withheld, the industrial units were closing down one after the other and the stock exchanges and banks had almost collapsed.

Both the political and economic situation of the country had gone from bad to worse, Mr Rasheed said and added that the coalition partners were speaking different languages.

He said the present government has been very active in the transfers and postings of officials and its efficiency could be gauged from the fact that it even cannot control the PTV which is the easiest thing to control in Pakistan.

How can such a government deliver the goods, Mr Rasheed questioned and added that PPP itself was in the grip of chaos.

About the PPP programme, he said, instead of providing “Roti” to the people, they were being sent to graveyards and instead of employment, they were forced to commit suicide.

He said the deposed judges were pronouncing judgements on the roads by issuing statements and added that nothing was known about the constitutional package.

Those officers who have a track record of inefficiency and were irresponsible have been posted as heads of the most important institutions of the country, he said and added that due to utter disappointment and rejection, the oppressed nation was now looking towards the sky.Answering questions, he said, the control of Thar coal was being handed over to India and added that the decisions were not being taken in the parliament but somewhere else.

Number two of Shaukat Aziz was ruling over the country, Shaikh Rasheed said and added that it was not the rule of the government but of individuals.

Answering another question about the military action in the NWFP, the AML chief said that the militants were protesting against American policies and urged USA to review its policies and called upon the Pakistani rulers to hold negotiations with the militants.

About the impeachment of the president, he said the power was vested in the parliament and added that even the president himself had declared that he would accept the verdict of the parliament. The success of the Prime Minister’s American tour could be gauged from today’s incident in Waziristan, Shaikh Rasheed said.

Defending the performance of the previous government, he said, it was much better than what we are witnessing today.

About his visit, he said, it was aimed at organising his party and announced the names of party office -bearers for Hyderabad.