ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq has said that Pakistan defence programme is under tremendous pressure specially after Russian President Putin’s statement and some of US officials views about North Korean connection.

He called for creating a unified national stand among all the political forces including the opposition parties.

Talking to newsmen at an Iftar dinner, which he hosted in the honour of the envoys of the Muslim countries in the federal capital at a local hotel on Monday, Mr Haq said that the objective could be achieved if the government would invite an open debate at the floor of the National Assembly.

Ambassadors from 17 Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Morocco, Tunis, Bosnia, Tajikistan and Iran attended the Iftar party.

He appreciated the stand taken by the MMA on regarding the constitutional issues and the issue of President Gen Musharraf’s relinquishing the office of COAS, adding that his party had not discussed whether it should support Musharraf as president a without uniform or not.

Responding to a query about the recent reports of PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif’s contacts with the government Mr Haq said: “I don’t think there was any truth in these reports.”

He, however, confirmed that the restrictions on the Sharif family’s moving out of Saudi Arabia would be over soon.

He also dismissed the notion that Nawaz Sharif could send a petition to Prime Minister Jamali for exonerating him and allowing him to return, as was suggested by the PML-Q parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday.