KARACHI, Nov 16: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman has said that although the government’s decision to approach the International Monetary Fund for a loan was an unpopular move, the sour pill would have to be swallowed to meet international obligations because national economy was on the edge of bankruptcy.

Maulana Fazal was talking to newsmen after arriving here from Quetta on Sunday afternoon.

He said it was time to save the country, instead of indulging in power politics.

However, he did not approve of the way the government was projecting the agreement with the IMF as an achievement.

He regretted that friendly countries and international community did not help Pakistan in its hour of trial and the government had been left with no option but to seek IMF help.

Referring to CIA chief’s claim about complicity of the people living in tribal areas of Pakistan in attacks on Nato troops in Afghanistan, the Maulana said that such claims had had been made since 2001, but the US did not feel the need to carry out direct attacks on targets over the past six years. Why was it doing it continuously during the past six months? The JUI chief said that the US did not want the government to strike a deal with tribal people for peace in the region.

He said that sustained efforts of his party had forced the government to change tack on the war on terror and a unanimous resolution was adopted by parliament, seeking an end to US attacks inside Pakistan.

When his attention was drawn to President Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that the US forces should carry out attacks on Pakistani soil only after informing the government and he was asked whether his party should not part ways with the PPP-led government over the issue, the Maulana said that in a coalition government it was not possible to get one’s point of view always accepted.

Maulana Fazl, who is chairman of the Kashmir Committee of parliament, said that the second meeting of the committee would be held on Nov 18. The committee would be visiting OIC countries to drum up support for the Kashmir cause, he said.