LAHORE, May 14: As the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) is meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday (today) to decide on the Nato supply route, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmmod Qureshi has urged the government to abide by the resolution of parliament regarding the issue.

At a press conference, Mr Qureshi, also former foreign minister, warned the government that the resumption of the supply route without meeting parliament’s conditions would tantamount to overruling the legislature.

He said that the supplies had been suspended by an executive order of the prime minister and subsequent to recommendations of a parliamentary committee parliament unanimously set two conditions on the US to lift the blockade: an unconditional US apology on the Salala attack, and end to drone attacks.He cautioned the DCC to take a decision considering parliament recommendations and wishes of the masses.

“Any decision without the public support will be meaningless,” he said.

The issue, he said, was so important that he would suggest his leader Imran Khan to convene a national conference to formulate a consensus policy on the issue. He said PTI’s May 27 Rawalpindi public meeting would reflect the wishes of the masses on it.

He said the government was using the sovereignty of parliament as a tool to mock Supreme Court verdicts but was likely to disregard its sovereignty, as statements of defence and foreign ministers suggest, on the Nato supply issue.

He said the authorities concerned should have slept over the likely repercussions of the supply blockade before going for it.

He wondered why the government was extraordinary concerned about the Chicago conference when it had boycotted a similar important conference in Bonn (Germany) on the Afghan crisis.

“Is Zardari’s participation in the Chicago summit and monetary compensation for Nato containers more important than our sovereignty and pride?” he said.

The questions, he said, should be decided by the people and parliament and not by the “corrupt” government.

He said his successor, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, was confused on the Nato issue as presently the government was “leaderless”.

“Some decisions are taken at the Presidency and others at the Prime Minister’s House,” he said.

Mr Qureshi said in fact the government had failed on every front as it lacked any vision and was consuming all its energies on challenging the contempt of court verdict (against the prime minister) and “corruption” of the rulers with no attention to the difficulties facing the masses.

Also, PML-N media coordinator Muhammad Mehdi said the government should not flout parliament’s resolutions again.