LAHORE, Dec 26: Former interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat Husain says Pakistan should make direct as well as indirect efforts to prevent a war between the two nuclear rivals.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, he said the OIC should also be involved in these efforts as any war was not in the interest of the two countries.

Mr Shujaat, who is also a central leader of the PML(QA), said the Indian leadership was trying to follow the same course of action against Pakistan which Israel was doing against people of Palestine.

However, he believed that New Delhi would never succeed in its designs as the entire nation was united to defend the country.

He advised President Musharraf to take the nation into confidence about the current situation. This, he said, could be done through a direct address to the nation.

He said the president should not heavily rely on those who assured him of their allegiance in closed door meetings but indulged in intrigues thereafter.

He said the president had saved the country by his policy on Afghanistan. Gen Musharraf had taken many decisions with a heavy heart but the time established that he had taken the right decisions.

He said the government should give political asylum to former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdus Salam Zaeef. Such a decision would be in conformity with the Islamic principles and traditions, he added.

Chaudhry Shujaat said even more people of Mullah Zaeef’s status should also be given asylum should they approach the government for the purpose.

He said he believed that the government would hold the elections according to the time frame set by the Supreme Court. But, he said, the government should raise the number of parliament seats and prepare voter lists as early as possible.

He reiterated his demand that the PML(QA) should immediately set up parliamentary boards at the centre and in provinces to select candidates for all constituencies. Candidates selected at this juncture would get sufficient time to work in their constituencies and win voters’ support.