US preferred India over Pakistan: Gilani

PESHAWAR: Former prime minister and senior leader of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said his party had no objection to the US-India nuclear deal but it wanted the United States to treat both the countries equally.
The former premier came to Peshawar to offer condolences to the family of former federal minister Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan, who died on Monday.Talking to reporters at the residence of PPP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa general secretary Humayun Khan, Gilani said that unilateral deals between the US and India could affect the war on terror.
The PPP leader criticised the federal government for its foreign policy. He said the country rendered remarkable sacrifices in the war on terror, but the US president visited India and ignored Pakistan.
“We need to revisit our foreign policy, but the country has yet to have a fulltime foreign minister,” he maintained.The former premier said his government had asked the US to vacate the Shamsi airbase after the attack on Salala checkpost, but the incumbent government didn’t have a clear stance on national interests and security.
He said those who taunted PPP for fighting the war on terror at the behest of America have now realised that it was Pakistan’s war. “Time has proved that our policies were right and those who criticised us are now following them,” he stated.
Gilani said the attack on Army Public School and College was the darkest hour of Pakistan’s history and it united political forces. “Now all the major political parties have gathered on a single platform,” he said.
He dispelled the impression that PPP was playing the role of friendly opposition. He said previously the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was being dubbed as friendly opposition.He asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to raise his voice in the National Assembly that represented over 180 million people.
About the differences in his party, he said that PPP was a major political party and differences in its ranks were not a big issue. However, he dismissed reports about the differences between PPP Co-Chairmen Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
To a question about the kidnapping of his son, the former premier said that initially they were in contact with the Taliban, however, since long there has been no contact. He said that he was informed that his son was kidnapped due to Swat operation. PPP KP president Khanzada Khan, general secretary Humayun Khan, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, Nighat Orakzai, and leaders were also present on the occasion.