25 December 2004	Saturday	12 Ziqa'ad 1425

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RAWALPINDI, Dec 24: President Pervez Musharraf has urged elected representatives to make concerted efforts to take Pakistan forward on the path of sustainable development.

He said this while talking to a delegation of PPP lawmakers led by Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, and including Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Science and Technology Minister Naurez Shakoor, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Niazi, Minister of State for Information Ms Anisa Zeb Tahirkhel, and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Raza Hayat Hiraj here on Friday.

The president underlined the importance of continuity of policies at this juncture when consistently pursued policies in the last five years had steered the country to a takeoff stage.

"We must strive for sharing the macro-economic gains at the grassroots levels. At the same time we should move forward as a moderate and progressive Islamic nation," Gen Musharraf observed.

In a press statement, Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal urged the opposition to respond positively to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's offer of dialogue to evolve consensus on issues of national importance.

"The prime minister has taken the initiative for national reconciliation by giving the message of dialogue and harmony to the opposition," he said. "Now it is the responsibility of patriotic parties to respond positively to the PM's offer and extend a hand of cooperation in the country's reconstruction programme," he said.

He said that strengthening the democratic system was not the responsibility of the government alone. The opposition was also required to review its stance and change its traditional role. -PPI/APP