PESHAWAR, July 11: The return of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif is imperative and holding of fresh elections is necessary to end the current crisis, says senior vice-president of the Awami National Party Ghulam Ahmed Bilour.

He was speaking at a press conference here on Sunday. Terming the return of the two former prime ministers vital to put the country back on track of democracy, he said that generals and technocrats were not suited to tackle the affairs of the state.

"The country has already suffered (the) dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971. The crisis will deepen if the federal government continues to ignore the rights of the smaller provinces," said the former federal minister.

Terming the Kashmir problem and the water crisis Punjab's problems, he said that they had nothing to do with Pakistan. He said that it was necessary to allow both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return to the country and it was also important to hold free, fair and impartial elections to establish a true democratic government.

The country's clergy had waged a war against the former Soviet forces on the directives of the US, adding that it had paved the way for America to launch what he termed a crusade against the entire Ummah.

He said that in the presence of former Soviet Union, the US would not have dared occupy Afghanistan. Terming the Kalabagh dam's construction a bid to usurp the NWFP and Sindh's water resources, Mr Bilour said that if it was constructed, it would submerge vast fertile areas of the NWFP, adding that the ANP would never allow its construction.

He said that Punjab was already using 45,000 cusecs of water from the NWFP's share. Meanwhile, nazims of the Gulbahar union council, Anwaarul Hassan advocate and Islamuddin, nazim of the Akhunabad union council along with some of their councillors announced to support for the ANP-backed Watan Dost Group. Both of them made the announcement during the press conference.