LAHORE: The Pakistan People`s Party central information secretary Maula Bakhsh Chandio has urged the government to improve its foreign policy because in the ongoing tension with India it failed to win even the support of the countries that had been historically friendly towards us.

Speaking at a press conference along with Aslam Gill and Hassan Murtaza here on Sunday, he regretted that even the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference) didn`t condemn the Indian attack on Pakistan.

He asked the prime minister not to be fooled by the sycophants as they wouldcause irreparable damage to him through flattery like demanding his (Imran Khan`s) nomination for Nobel Peace Prize. He advised the premier that he should, instead, improve the foreign policy and `stop saying which must not be said publicly`.

Mr Chandio said the PPP leaders Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari had opposed boycott of the OIC foreign ministers` meeting as it was unwise to leave an international platform without using it for explaining one`s stance.

He said the nation was annoyed at the Indian aggression and it was placated only af ter the Pakistan Air Force gave a befitting response to the aggressor.

He said no party opposed handover of thearrested Indian Air Force pilot keeping in view the sensitivity of the situation.

In his personal opinion, he said, the pilot should have been released after some delay and that at least Prime Minister Imran Khan must not have stated that `Modi doesn`t pick my (Imran Khan`s) phone`.

The PPP leader said India never accepted Pakistan while spitting venom against it was the basis of Modi`s politics.

He said the opposition supported the government for the sake of peace and now the rulers should exhibit a better attitude (towards the opposition) for the sake of the country.

`We`ve reconciled with the treasury only for the sake of the country but they`veunleashed a couple of people, who would chide the opposition. Enough is enough.

Such behaviour won`t work for long,` he warned.

He said the opposition won`t support the government`s moves of increasing petroleum prices and withdrawing the subsidies available to the f arming community. `You`ll have to provide relief to the masses as we won`t give you smooth sailing here.

Referring to the ruling PTI leadership`s complaint that they were not allowed to speak in the parliament, the PPP leader said it was because of the arrogance they exhibited while entering the House and avoiding shaking hands with any (opposition)leader. `Is there no leader in the House who merits shaking hands with?` he said, citing the proverb `the tree which bears fruit bends.

`As you`re occupying the prime slot you`ve to bend.

He asked the government to steer the nation towards sovereignty and prosperity instead of darkness and backwardness as the country was passing through a critical time.

He said only the situation on the borders had made the ruling party to keep silent about the opposition leadership, otherwise, there would have been talk of `holdhim, catch him.

Responding to a query about f ake accounts, Mr Chandio said the federal government was supporting the agency that broke open the bank lockers of the Sindh Assembly speaker, finding `nothing` deposited there.

He chided the authorities for arresting Agha Siraj Durrani from Islamabad, regretting why they didn`t even wait for his return to Karachi. He recalled that seeds of provincial hatred were sown by extracting conviction of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from Punjab courts and assassination of Benazir Bhutto on a Punjab road.

He told a questioner that the federation could not block funds of Sindh for it would hurt many development projects in the province.