LAHORE, March 23: Chaudhry Shujaat Husain says since there is no tradition of governments holding protest marches on any issue, the PML-Q government “facilitated” the Sunday million-man march organized by religious parties in Lahore to express solidarity with the people of Iraq.

At a news conference at his residence on Sunday, he pointed out that although the MMA condemned the US invasion of Iraq, their government in the NWFP had not held any protest march in Peshawar.

The Pakistan government was opposed to the American attack on Iraq and it had said on several occasions that the invasion was unjustified. It was the leaders of the US and Britain, not their peoples, who were responsible for the attack, the ruling party chief said.

In response to a question, Shujaat said that the PML-Q was in contact with other parties on the Iraq issue and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was also holding talks with various leaders.

On the possibility of the government calling an all-party conference on the subject, he said in case it did, the PML-Q would participate like other invitees.

He told a questioner that governance through party was a new experiment made by the PML-Q. The party, he recalled, had expressed views on some issues which were at variance with those of the government. For example, the government was opposed to the registration of Pakistanis in the United States while he as party chief was insisting that the US had the right to take steps necessary for its security.

Shujaat said the party was in full agreement with the foreign policy of the government and Prime Minister Jamali would have presented the party’s point of view if he had gone ahead with his US visit.

Opposing the view that Iraqi embassy in Pakistan should be closed, the PML-Q chief said it was not a realistic demand. In his opinion there was more need for liaison with Iraq than ever and it could be possible only through the embassy.

Shujaat said many NGOs wanted to visit Iraq for relief activities and they would not be able to get visas if the embassy was closed.

He dismissed speculations that after Iraq the US would also target Pakistan. There was no basis for such a thinking, he emphasized.

Shujaat said Pakistan’s nuclear programme was in very safe hands and there was no possibility of its falling into the hands of ‘extremists’. Then, he said, the world was divided and countries like France and Germany which had always been on the side of the US were now opposing the invasion of Iraq.

The bloc opposed to the US attack on Iraq had its own significance in the world affairs and thus it was not conceivable that the US would turn its guns at Pakistan, overlooking the world opinion.

He said in the prevailing situation Pakistan would not like to align itself with one bloc or the other. “We want friendly relations with all countries”.

About the separation of the party and government offices, as necessitated by the Political Parties Order, Shujaat said a decision would be taken once the Iraq crisis was over. At this juncture when the situation was fluid, the party would not like to create a new crisis for itself by enforcing the PPO.

According to him, the matter was on the agenda of the recent meeting of the Central Working Committee but it could not be taken up as the Iraq issue had overshadowed the remaining subjects.