12 July 2004	Monday	23 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 11: Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday defended President Gen Pervez Musharraf's decision to name Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz as the next prime minister , saying the president had taken the decision in the "highest national interest and after having reviewed the situation prevailing in the country."

Speaking at a conference of Ulema and Mashaikh at the Prime Minister's Secretariat, Chaudhry Shujaat said: "The President is part of parliament and we consult him on all important national issues. "I have found him ever ready to offer any sacrifice for the country."