KOHAT, July 29: Former law minister Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani has said that after holding secret negotiations PPP chairperson Banazir Bhutto and President General Pervez Musharraf have become controversial and unreliable for their supporters.

Talking to journalists here on Saturday, Mr Gilani said that after the deal Benazir Bhutto might not be able to keep the present number of seats in parliament.

He said that by negotiating with a dictator she had soiled the sacrifices rendered by her father and party workers for democracy.

“President Musharraf who has lost support within and outside the country has also become controversial in his own government as a result of the deal,” said Mr Gilani, who parted ways with Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan people’s Party after remaining in it for 23 years.

He said that after the landmark decision of the Supreme Court, which had given a direction to the nation and parliament, President Musharraf now could not enforce emergency in the country or take any unconstitutional step.

He demanded that General Musharraf should step down to stop further bloodshed in the country.

He said that the all-party democratic alliance was now the only platform which could challenge the ruling parties and Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He said that reports of the deal and resignation of Qazi Hussain Ahmed had harmed the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and ARD which had lost their purpose.

He said that corrupt politicians had always invited military and preferred personal interests by putting workers in trouble therefore the results of this deal would further aggravate political and security situation in the country.

Exhorting the rulers to stop playing power game, he asked them to seriously think how to save country from prevailing internal threats which may lead to a civil war.

He reminded the president that he had formed the National Security Council to provide a platform to military leaders and politicians to sort out differences and to discuss matters of national importance.

But it is unfortunate that the president had initiated secret talks with Benazir Bhutto without taking chief ministers, his allies and the opposition leader into confidence.

“This clearly shows his mistrust over senior politicians who have been supporting his unconstitutional rule.”

He recalled that one of his ministers had said two years back that the president should invite all exiled political leaders especially former minister Nawaz Sharif and release Makhdoom Javed Hashmi if he really wanted peace and true democracy in the country.

The minister had advised that in this way the criticism from the European Union and US who had half heartedly accepted him as president due to the Pakistan Army’s role in the war on terror would also stop.

He said that he would file a petition in the Supreme Court for the custody of Jamia Hafsa and Fareedia on Monday on behalf of the Wafaq ul Madaris against the CDA’s claim over the property.