PESHAWAR, Aug 9: Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Monday that the federal government would continue to hold dialogue with all political forces to resolve issues facing the country.

Addressing the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, the prime minister said his government wanted to promote tolerance and democratic values in the country. Referring to the recent clashes between security forces and militants in South Waziristan, the prime minister said the situation in Wana would be resolved through dialogue.

"I have already held a meeting in connection with the Wana situation and before leaving this post (prime ministership) I will again convene a meeting to resolve the issue amicably through dialogue," he added.

He said politicians should forget their differences and promote the politics of tolerance and trust and work jointly for the safety and stability of the country."We shall stop calling each other traitors as all politicians are patriotic citizens," he said.

The prime minister recalled that when his father Chaudhry Zahoor Illahi was arrested, veteran politician Khan Abdul Wali Khan had extended all-out support to his family although he also had been dubbed traitor by his opponents.

Chaudhry Shujaat, who is the first prime minister to address the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, said that he had been advised to postpone the Peshawar visit for security reason, but he refused to accept the advice due to his commitment with the association.

He said he had great respect for the judiciary and had supported it on all occasions. He said he used to visit courts and police stations as a child after his father's arrest.

The prime minister urged the lawyers' community to maintain discipline in their ranks as most of the judges in the superior judiciary came from their community. He said the government wanted to promote democratic culture and for the same reason after the 2002 elections President Gen Pervez Musharraf had decided to hand over power to the parties which had obtained majority at the centre and in the provinces.

He said the federal government had extended cooperation to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government in the NWFP after the October 2002 elections and would continue to do so as it believed in the politics of tolerance.

He said that after the 2002 elections, the MMA was asked to form government in the NWFP and he held a meeting with PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim and asked him to form government in Sindh because his party had emerged as the single-largest party in the province.

However, he added, after two or three days Makhdoom Amin Fahim informed him that his party was not in a position to form government in Sindh. The prime minister announced Rs3 million for the bar association and Rs500,000 for the low-grade employees of the association on behalf of the Chaudhry Zahoor Illahi Trust.

Earlier, in his address of welcome PHCBA President Ziaur Rehman requested the prime minister to enhance the sanctioned strength of judges in the Peshawar High Court in view of the increasing workload.

TROOPS FOR IRAQ: In a brief chat with newsmen, Chaudhry Shujaat said that he had already stated it on various occasions that in the present circumstances it was not possible for Pakistan to send troops to Iraq.