PESHAWAR, Jan 20: Former president and chief of Millat Party Farooq Ahmad Leghari said on Sunday that in return for sharing intelligence reports and cooperation with western powers including the US, the government should seek extradition of those persons on their soils who were involved in terrorism and corruption here.

Addressing a peace and solidarity conference arranged by Millat Party at a local hotel here, he said that the Bush’s doctrine of terrorism was not applicable to the freedom struggle in occupied Kashmir and the western powers should differentiate between terrorism and independence movement.

He added: “If the Kashmiri freedom struggle is terrorism then by the same yardstick the movement of George Washington shall also be measured.”

The conference, the third in a series, was also addressed by provincial president of Pakistan Muslim League (QA) Saleem Saifullah Khan, central information secretary of Awami National Party Haji Muhammad Adeel, secretary general of Millat Party, Muhammad Ali Durrani and others.

Mr Leghari said that war was not in the interest of both India and Pakistan as a majority of their population lived below the poverty line. He added that if war was imposed on Pakistan, it would meet that challenge.

The need for arranging such conferences arose as the Indian government was amassing troops on border and was posing offensive posture, he said. “We wanted to give them clear message that all the political parties stood united and will not tolerate any aggression by the Indians,” Mr Leghari maintained.

About the country’s internal situation, he said there was an urgent need of forming a national or coalition government. “I am not saying that such government shall be formed now, it can be formed after polls.”

He supported the government move against militant religious outfits, saying they had badly tarnished the image of the country abroad.

Mr Leghari held the martial law of Gen Ziaul Haq responsible for most of the vices the present society was infested with and said that his rule gave birth to religious intolerance.

Haji Adeel said that for decades his party and their leader Bacha Khan had been propagating message of peace as war was no solution to a conflict. He said: “It is better to sit on a negotiation table before war as even after war you have to revert to the same course.”

He said his party had opposed one unit system and war in Afghanistan and time had proved that those positions were correct on both the occasions.

The ANP leader maintained that if provincial autonomy was granted to provinces, and rights were given to all the nationalities and segments of society there would be complete unity among the people of Pakistan.

He said they had to differentiate between militants and religious organisations as there were religious parties which had waged war against the colonial rulers and also remained in power here.

Saleem Saifullah said that when Pakistan assumed central position after the happenings of Sept 11 last year the Indian government started staging different dramas so as to defame Pakistan. He said the government should not be apologetic when dealing with India as the entire nation was united to face any aggression.

“We have extended message of peace to the Indians even now. If they do not mend their ways they will be paid in the same coin,” Saifullah claimed.