ISLAMABAD Feb 13: Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani, a founder member of the Pakistan People’s Party, on Tuesday announced joining the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-QA) in what he termed an outright support of President Pervez Musharraf’s “pragmatic” policies.

Speaking at a news conference with PML-QA President Mian Azhar and flanked by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Gohar Ayub Khan, Mr Gilani remarked that if they (Pakistan) had not joined the international coalition against terrorism within 24 hours after the Sept 11 attacks, the country would have had to face devastating consequences.

He maintained that the nuclear installations of the country were to be the main target of the forces against terrorism if Gen Musharraf had not taken the decision to join the coalition and a U-turn on the Afghan policy. He observed that the electoral reforms introduced by the government minus the condition of graduation were in the best interest of the country.