QUETTA, May 28: Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on Saturday pledged that the military rulers would not be permitted to roll back the nuclear programme or make any compromise on sensitive national assets. Speaking at a public meeting held at Nasar House to mark the ‘Yaum-i-Takbir’, they paid tribute to exiled party leader Nawaz Sharif for carrying out nuclear tests.

MNA Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar said the former prime minister had ordered the tests in spite of a policy of threats and incentives by the United Sates whereas President Gen Pervez Musharraf took a U-turn on the Afghan policy on receiving a telephone call from President George Bush after the 9/11 incident.

He alleged that the government was concealing the factual position regarding the nuclear programme and the Kashmir issue from people. He said the country’s nuclear status had created a balance of power with India and any change in the programme would harm the national interests.

He said the PML-N with the support of the people would not allow the government to take any decision on the nuclear programme and the Kashmir issue which contradicted with the basic principles of the country’s integrity.

Sardar Nasar criticized the government for backing the US in Afghanistan and condemned the reported sacrilege of Holy Quran by American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay prison.