SUKKUR, Dec 2: Federal Railways Minister Ghous Baksh Maher said on Monday that the People’s Party Parliamentar-ians, being the single largest majority party in Sindh, had the first right to form government in the province.

The minister, who arrived here for a week-long stay in his constituency, was talking to reporters at his residence in Wazirabad, Shikarpur.

Maher said that other constitutional options could be weighed if the PPP failed to form a government in the province.

Pakistan Muslim League (Q), he said, would strive to make the newly-established democratic system run in a smooth manner.

He said that the PML (Q) believed that only a stable and strong government in Sindh could best serve the people of the province.

Maher said that the Grand National Alliance had committed a mistake by nominating Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim for the slot of chief minister, and the GNA should have first taken other partners into confidence.

He said that it would have been better if the GNA had put forward a consensus candidate for the important position.

Confirming the PPP’s contacts with the government, including those with President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, Maher said that the contacts were part of a dialogue to overcome the present crisis.

Meanwhile, Maher, who is the chief of the Sindh PML(Q), held discussions with some leaders of his party, including Halim Siddiqi and Ameer Baksh Maher, regarding the party’s reorganization in Sindh.

He stressed the need to begin the party’s reorganisation after Eid.

Earlier, Maher told newsmen here on Sunday that talks were in progress for the formation of a consensus government of different parties in Sindh.