LAHORE, Aug 3: President Gen Pervez Musharraf met Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi here at the Army House on Sunday.

According to a handout issued by the provincial government, the one-on-one meeting continued for one-and-a-half hour during which the chief minister informed the president about the law and law and order and flood situation in the province.

The president appreciated the chief minister’s recent visit to the rain-hit Badin and Thatha districts of Sindh and his relief package of Rs50 million for the affected people of the province.

He termed the initiative by the Punjab chief minister a welcome step towards the promotion of coordination, cooperation, brotherhood and unity among the provinces.

The chief minister said the provincial government was adopting all measures to ensure law and order and was putting all departments concerned on alert to meet any eventuality in case of floods.

Meanwhile, talking to a delegation of Punjab Assembly minority members the chief minister said due to the leadership qualities of the president, ample representation had been given to women and minorities in the new political setup. The rights of the neglected people had also been safeguarded under the present setup, he said.

He said development funds were being given to the minority constituencies on an equitable basis. The minorities were playing a commendable role in the promotion of health, education and other sectors of life, he said.

The chief minister said promotion of religious tolerance and ameliorating the lot of the deprived people was among the top priorities of the PML-Q government.