PESHAWAR, Dec 19: PML-Q leader and former federal minister Mohammad Ali Durrani has urged the United States to review its policy on war on terror to stem the growing tide of lawlessness in Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said the US-led war against terrorism had caused immense damage and huge losses to Pakistan while terrorism had thrived.

Nato has failed to achieve its objectives despite eight years of operations in Afghanistan.

“The volatile situation warranted a new policy for the region in consultation with Pakistan, Russia, China and Iran because the present policy was not working,” he said, adding that Pakistan should ask the International Security Assistance Force and Nato to withdraw from Afghanistan.

He said that president-elect Barack Obama should be persuaded to pull US troops out of Afghanistan.

Mr Durrani said the US had promised to extend diplomatic and moral support to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, but instead it was weakening the country by violating its western border.

He said that the US was bent upon bringing Indian forces to Afghanistan which would pose a serious threat to Pakistan.

“Pakistan will be is justified in demanding withdrawal of Nato troops and deployment of OIC forces in Afghanistan,” he said.

He said Pakistan should launch an aggressive diplomatic campaign to get US drone attacks stopped and take the issue to the UN.

Criticising what he called ‘mishandling’ of airspace violation by Indian warplanes, he said the US drone attacks had emboldened India to violate Pakistan’s airspace, but the government weakened the country’s position by terming it a technical violation.Mr Durrani said that security situation in the NWFP had been deteriorating but the government had done nothing to inform the people about the misery of the Pakhtuns.

He said the prime minister had announced in his first speech that he would repeal the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), but failed to do so.

Demanding immediate repeal of the FCR and extension of the Political Parties Act to Fata, he said the government should announce 10,000 jobs for youths in tribal areas.

He asked the government to mark December 25, the birth anniversary of the Quaid-i-Azam, as a solidarity day.

“Let the nation proclaim on the day that they are united for the defence of Pakistan, for peace in the region and for fighting terrorism,” he said.