PESHAWAR/SWABI, April 11: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Wednesday favoured resumption of Nato supply but said only food should be allowed to pass through Pakistan.

Speaking to Swat Press Club representatives, who called on him here, Mr Iftikhar said there should be no permission to the arms and ammunitions’ movement to Afghanistan in Nato containers and that Nato supply should be restored for food items only.He said everyone would accept parliament’s decision on restoration of Nato supply as it was the country’s supreme institution. He said no state had the right to interfere in others’ affairs and rather, all states were bound by international laws to honour each other’s sovereignty.

“Our national interests are supreme to us. We will never compromise them with any international power, including the US,” he said.

The minister said Pakistan wanted good relationship with all countries of the world on the basis of equality and would greatly appreciate international support for development.

He urged the US to reconsider its policies, especially regarding drone attacks, saying it’s badly affecting the US image in the country and the world.

Mr Iftikhar said the drone technology should be shared with Pakistan for better results against war of terror.

He expressed satisfaction about law and order situation in the province, especially Malakand Division, and said a large number of locals had returned home after staying in shelter homes.

“It became possible only due to people’s active support and effective action of security forces against terrorists,” he said. He said Pakhtuns loved Islam from the core of their hearts but were deceived in the name of religion, so his government exposed their enemies to their knowledge.

The minister later gave away a cheque of Rs1 million to the visitors for KP won’t oppose food supply to Nato Swat Press Club.

Provincial Director (Information) Shoaibuddin was also in attendance.

Meanwhile, Mr Iftikhar told reporters in Swabi on Tuesday that if the US could speak to Afghan Taliban for peace, then Pakistan should also sit across the table with local Taliban for restoring peace on its soil.

“Our government is rendering all possible sacrifices for peace and development in the province and adjoining tribal areas,” he said.

The minister said his government had been working for restoration of peace in the province and Fata for the last four years and even held talks with Taliban but opted for military crackdown on them after they refused to lay down arms.

He said the decision to restore Nato supply would be made by parliament, while the exercise to determine new terms of engagements with the US was underway.

Mr Iftikhar said Parliamentary Committee on National Security was expected to complete soon the draft of revised proposals on Pakistan’s strategic relations with the US for the government and that all political parties would accept it.

When asked about wheel jam strike by transporters in the province, he said he appreciated the peaceful protest as it was transporters’ democratic right to raise voice against the government’s acts, which they didn’t like. He said the Provincial Transport Authority had been directed to hold talks with public and good transporters over their demands.

“I, too, am a transporter and know very well how the latest increase in fuel prices has affected transporters,” he said.

About the frequent power outages, he said after the primer minister’s announcement about introduction of uniform loadshedding policy across the country, it was expected that duration of loadshedding would drop in the province.

He said the government had been striving to reduce loadshedding duration and bridge the gap between power demand and supply.