MULTAN, May 12: PML-N’s acting chief Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has expressed skepticism with regard to any breakthrough between the government and the opposition on the controversial Legal Framework Order due to what he terms ‘inelastic’ attitude of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Talking to newsmen here on Monday, the PML leader said the joint opposition had entered into a dialogue over the LFO issue with sincerity of purpose to find some solution to the crisis. “But the general will ultimately cause the process of reconciliation and understanding to fail,” he said.

He said: “I see no ray of hope in the light of statements made by the general on the subject especially on vital issues of National Security Council, 58(2)(b) and constitutional election of the president.”

About ongoing progress on the LFO being made through an 11-member government-opposition committee in parliament, Mr Hashmi said he would not comment anymore except that the committee had not so far decided that whether the LFO would be brought to parliament for scrutiny.

He said the junta wanted to have an absolute power with a democratic face through the LFO. Under the LFO not only the parliament would become subservient to an all powerful president, but it could not do even routine legislation, such as formulation of labour policy and the measures to check inflation.

The PML leader said the country would be undergoing a critical juncture of history in days to come in the face of resumption of talks with India, and the irony was that the generals were again at the helm of affairs ‘to spoil the broth’ as they had never proved to be good negotiators in talks with India.

He said after being rejected by the people in the presidential referendum of April, 2002, the general’s rule depended on the will of foreign powers. “And the foreign powers want to benefit India through what being said a road-map to bring peace to the region,” he feared, saying “only the political leadership can pull out the country from this quagmire”.

He said he had discussed at length the ‘progress’ on the LFO issue with Nawaz Sharif by telephone on Monday.

CENSURED: The Punjab government has reportedly censured verbally the management of the Nishtar Hospital for gross lapses in providing medical cover to the victims of Shorkot bus tragedy.

The chief minister had first sent provincial minister Amer Sultan Cheema to inquire about the facilities being provided to the victims. The other day state minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan paid a visit to the hospital to inquire after the health of the victims and to see the state of affairs there.

Both the government functionaries reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction over the performance of the hospital.

After the censure by the government, hospital’s principal executive officer Dr Shabbir Nasir issued a show-cause notice to MS Dr Arif Saleem. The MS later on issued a show-cause notice to three of his subordinate doctors — Dr Anwaar, Dr Saifullah and Dr Khalid Rao.