ISLAMABAD, Jan 14: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has been directed by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to rush to Washington on Saturday, 10 days before his scheduled visit, for taking up the issue of registration of Pakistani expatriates with the Bush administration.

Talking to reporters, the prime minister said the government was fully aware of the hardships being faced by the Pakistanis in the United States and that he had told the foreign minister to leave for Washington early.

The prime minister advised the political and religious parties to avoid tirade against the United States as it had been reflecting on the relations between the two countries, particularly on the Pakistani immigrants.

Mr Jamali reiterated that his government would announce a package to give some economic relief to people at the cabinet meeting scheduled for Saturday.

In reply to a question about the Senate elections, the prime minister said the elections had been put off on the demand of political parties as the dates were coinciding with the Haj. The same parties, he added, were now criticizing the postponement.

Regarding the expansion of the cabinet, he said it would be carried out after the Senate elections to accommodate the members of the Upper House.

Asked to comment on the reports of corruption in PIA, the prime minister said the issue would be taken up at the cabinet meeting.