ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has urged the government to revisit its ‘single-track foreign policy’ which, it says, is damaging national interests.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that because of the flawed policy even the closest friends who used to provide strategic protection had started pointing fingers at Pakistan.

Responding to a question about allegations levelled by an Iranian general about Pakistan having aided rebels who carried out a suicide attack in Sistan-Baluchestan province, he said the government should fully cooperate with Iran to allay its doubts and take effective steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

He accused the federal government of indulging in horse-trading in Azad Kashmir where a new prime minister is to be chosen by the Legislative Assembly and said the opposition would submit a requisition for a National Assembly session to unmask people who were trying to subvert democratic process there.

He said that members of the AJK assembly were being pressurised to change loyalty and threats of invoking Article 56 of the Constitution were being hurled to pressurise members to support the PPP candidate.

He said the PML-N had no stakes in AJK and had not set up its branch there.

Chaudhry Nisar said that Mian Nawaz Sharif had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and the ‘response was positive’.

About the Kerry-Lugar bill, he said that the explanatory note issued by Washington fell short of addressing PML-N’s concern because it had not been passed by the US Congress and, therefore, not a part of the legislation.

He said the PML-N still had reservations over the conditions attached to the bill.

He said parliament should have been taken into confidence to work out a national stance before the foreign minister proceeded to Washington to take up Pakistan’s concerns with the US authorities.

He said the PML-N had expressed its reservations over the bill as an independent opposition and its position was neither in support of the army nor in opposition to the government.

He said there was nothing secret about his and Punjab chief minister’s recent meeting with the army chief, adding that security situation with particular reference to South Waziristan was discussed at the meeting.

‘We have never interacted with military officials over political matters,’ he said.
He said that he himself had spoken in the National Assembly against meetings of foreign dignitaries with the army chief and had termed extra-judicial killings unacceptable.

‘But acknowledging positive things does not mean we are dragging army into politics,’ he said.

Sometimes, he said, it was not appropriate to make public certain meetings.