LAHORE, May 7: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali has said the intelligence agencies and the government are not on the same page as far as their policies are concerned, which is not good for the country.

He was talking to reporters at the Allama Iqbal Airport here on Saturday where he had come to welcome his party (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on his return from London after undergoing a heart surgery.

Chaudhry Nisar said the intelligence agencies of Pakistan had changed the focus of their work. “The government and the agencies have separate polices which should not happen,” he added.

Terming the Abbotabad operation by US forces personnel murder of Pakistanis’ honour, he said President Asif Zardari should tell the people about the facts of the incident or resign.

He said the PML-N would finalise its strategy on the issue in a meeting on Tuesday, adding Nawaz Sharif had recovered and would preside over the party meeting.

QURESHI: Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi finally declared an ‘open war’ on his party leadership on Saturday when he demanded resignation from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over Bin Laden debacle.

However, he did not make such demand from the army top brass.

A visibly angry Qureshi said: “Today every Pakistani is angry (like him) and is feeling humiliated. Now time has come to forge national unity and there is a need to adopt a clear point of view on such matters.” He was speaking at a press conference at the Lahore Press Club.

Qureshi, who lost his ministry apparently for not agreeing to give diplomatic immunity to CIA spy Raymond Davis over two month ago, openly lashed out at his party leadership for the first time. Earlier, he would indirectly criticise the party leadership, especially over corruption allegation leveled against PPP-led government.

“I demand that the president and the prime minister must resign. The party’s Central Executive Committee meeting should be called within seven days and I will make this demand in it too,” he said.

But, when a reporter asked him that was not the violation of the Pakistan airspace (by US copters) a subject related to security forces and that could the army and ISI chiefs be absolved of the incident, Qureshi quickly responded that action should be taken against them if an inquiry held them responsible.

“Heads must roll after a thorough probe into the incident,” he added.

Qureshi further said the US had crossed the “red line” by carrying out military operation to kill Bin Laden in Abbotabad without permission of Pakistan. He said Pakistan was a partner of the US in the war against militancy but, “is this (the US operation) an answer to our commitment and sacrifices?”

“We are their (the US) ally, can’t they share intelligence with us,” he asked. He said the prime minister should immediately call the meeting of Defense Committee of the federal cabinet over the issue.

The former foreign minister was very critical of his party co-chairman for keeping a ‘mum’ over the “sensitive” issue.

He said it was ironical that “President Zardari has time to write an article on the issue for a US newspaper but neither he nor the prime minister has time to take the nation into confidence.”

He said “conflicting and irresponsible” statements were issued after the US operation. The prime minister congratulated the US and declared it a historic victory without thinking that it left several questions unanswered with regard to Pakistan’s sovereignty. “They (rulers) have taken this matter like business as usual. They are more concerned about saving their seats instead of saving the country,” he said, adding if the rulers could not defend the people of Pakistan they had no right to stay in power.

He said Pakistanis were looking for a leadership that could "feel and die" for Pakistan. “The operation is an aggression against Pakistan. No foreign army is allowed to carry out operation inside Pakistani territory. Today efforts are being made to isolate Pakistan,” he said.

President Zardari had reportedly called Qureshi a “rotten egg” while addressing a party meeting at the Punjab Governor’s House. Mr Qureshi was also not allowed to attend the party’s CEC meeting in Naudero last month, which was a clear indication from the party leadership that his role in the PPP was over.

A senior PPP leader told Dawn that suspension of Qureshi’s party membership would be a mere formality now. “Everyone knows on whose’ direction Qureshi is holding the political leadership alone responsible for the US operation in Abbotabad,” he said.

Leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Raja Riaz, reacting to Qureshi’s remarks said that first he (Qureshi) should resign from the PPP and then make such demands from the party leadership.

Raja said it seemed that Mr Qureshi was trying to enhance his political stature by giving such statements.

Qureshi was also not happy with the PPP-PML-Q alliance like other party stalwarts - Kamar Zaman Kaira, Ahmed Mukhtar and Ghazanfar Gull. “People in the PPP are disappointed over party’s joining hands with the PML-Q,” he said, adding Benazir Bhutto had named Pervaiz Elahi in the FIR of an attack on her public meeting in Karachi.