KARACHI, Dec 17: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has underlined the primacy of national interests and said these should be above party and personal interests.

The prime minister, who was responding to questions from journalists here at the Governor’s House after Ali Mohammed Mahar of the PML (Q) was sworn in as chief minister of Sindh, said with the formation of governments at the centre and in and all the four provinces the roadmap given by President General Pervez Musharraf for restoration of democracy in the country had been accomplished.

“Today the phase of formation of elected governments has been completed. Now there are elected governments both at the centre and in the provinces,” he added.

Prime Minister Jamali praised Governor Sindh Mohammedmian Soomro for his services, and said he ran the administration of Sindh successfully for three years.

“Ali Mohammed Khan Mahar is also a well-educated young man, and hopefully he would run the affairs of the province in an efficient and effective manner,” he said.

Asked if the government allegedly formed through horse-trading could last for long, the prime minister brushed aside the allegation, and said disgruntled elements always made such accusations after their failure to have their own way. “One should rise above personal interests and party politics and work for the progress of the country. Our loyalty should be to our country and for this one should rise above personal, group and party interests,” he stressed.

He, however, said as far as the question of stable government was concerned, it depended on the person who was running the affairs of the government.

Before the departure of the prime minister for the airport, Governor Soomro and Chief Minister Mahar called on him in the Governor’s House where they, reportedly, exchanged views on formation of the Sindh cabinet and names of people likely to be inducted into the cabinet.

The Prime Minister left for Islamabad in the evening after a brief visit to Karachi. At the airport he was seen off, among others, by Governor Mohammedmian Soomro and Chief Minister Ali Mohammed Mahar.