Musharraf sanctioned drone strikes: Gilani

Rules out early elections; stresses need for TORs on registration of fake corruption cases

MULTAN: Former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Monday completely ruled out early elections in the country.

Talking to reporters at the office of the party worker Mehboob Bhatti with whom he condoled the death of his family member, the former PM said he was not optimistic about early elections in the country. He said the government and the Opposition were finalising TORs on corruption, but there was a dire need of TORs on registration of fake corruption cases, saying that he was facing fake corruption cases. He urged the Afghan Taliban to continue peace talks despite death of Mullah Akhtar Mansur, saying that Kabul is very important in perspective of regional politics.

He said Kabul and Pakistan are twin brothers, saying that Nato forces would have to leave Afghanistan sooner or later but relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan is unbreakable.

Gilani said former general Pervez Musharraf had sanctioned drone strikes in Pakistan before the induction of the PPP government. He said the US president apologised on the Salala post attack because of the PPP-led government policies. He said Pakistan Army is the world’s superb military and it has been eliminating terrorism by its own strength. He said high profile al-Qaeda leadership was killed as a result of coordinated attacks by CIA and ISI.

To a question, he said the PPP rule was far better than the present PML-N rule. He asked the PML-N government for people-friendly budget.Gilani said creation of Seraiki province was demand of neglected people. Senior PPP leader Khawaja Rizwan Alam and ex-MPA Dr Javed Siddiqui were also present.