ISLAMABAD, May 22: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf’s chairman Imran Khan criticised the government on Tuesday for its alleged endeavour to get a better price for resumption of Nato supplies through the country instead of respecting the parliamentary resolution on the matter that had set the prerequisites of a US apology over the Salala attack and end to drone strikes for reopening land routes to Afghanistan.

Addressing a news conference where Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Quli Khan joined the PTI, he said he would announce his party’s policy about possible resumption of Nato supplies at a rally to be held in Rawalpindi on May 27.

The PTI chairman urged the government to immediately withdraw from the war on terror and start negotiations with tribesmen to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes and let their children resume their studies which had been disrupted for the past 11 years.

“Our policies should be dictated by national interest and not by fear.”

Mr Khan said there was no doubt that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had lost moral grounds to retain his post after his conviction by the Supreme Court but “unfortunately” he had a legal justification. He warned that his party would launch a decisive movement to oust the prime minister if he continued in office despite rejection of his appeal by the court.

“We are not against our army but are opposed to its political role, ending which is the only way to save its prestige,” he said.

The PTI chief alleged that President Asif Zardari had tried to increase the charges for Nato supplies during his Chicago sojourn but he had been cold shouldered by the American leadership.

He asked why the foreign minister and other government functionaries had not raised their fear of angering 48 Nato member countries during the debate on the issue in parliament.

Mr Khan accused former ambassador Husain Haqqani of having received $100,000 for writing a book against Pakistan Army.