ISLAMABAD, May 31: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Tuesday that he had been taken into confidence before talks between the government and the PPP were initiated. The process was still continuing, though at a low level, he added. Talking to a group of journalists here, he said the PPP leadership had a history of seeking personal gains in negotiations and backing out of commitments after achieving the desired benefit

He claimed that the PPP was not interested in entering into a political agreement with the government and its aim was to get rid of the Swiss accounts case through dialogues. “Let the government announce next polls and guarantee power to the PPP, Benazir Bhutto will rush to enter into an alliance with the government,” he remarked.

Chaudhry Shujaat said he had warned the negotiators on day one that in view of the PPP’s past record they should not expect any positive outcome from talks as the party was not interested in matters of national interest.

As far as the PML was concerned, he said, it was open to talks with any party where matters of national interests were involved. He dismissed as baseless reports that he had differences with President Pervez Musharraf on the latter’s vision of enlightened moderation, and added that the president had himself explained that he did not mean spreading obscenity through the concept of moderation.

Referring to the recent visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca, the PML chief regretted that while the opposition leaders kept on criticizing Gen Musharraf in their meeting with the US official, it was the PML which presented to her a 15-point memorandum on what needed to be done by the US government.

On the other hand, he added, during the recent visit of a PML delegation to India it was witnessed that in official meetings both government and opposition leaders of that country took the same line on matters of national interest and the opposition stood behind every step the government was taking in talks with Pakistan.

In reply to a question, he said local bodies’ elections would be completed by the end of August and a proposal to appoint caretakers in place of nazims had been abandoned for the time being.

Chaudhry Shujaat claimed that this time round the PML would win local bodies polls in the NWFP where it had fared poorly last time. About recent incidents of violence in Karachi, the PML leader said: “We are trying to bring the law and order situation in the city under control so that these incidents do not affect the local bodies polls.”

Responding to a question about fears of manipulation of these elections by the ruling party, he said: “The PML is fully capable of winning them without manipulation.” He said he had presided over a party meeting earlier in the day which had suggested proposals for incorporation in the next budget. These proposals included relief for salaried class and enhancement of minimum wages of workers, allocation of funds for rehabilitation of people affected by floods and snowfall and bringing emoluments of women industrial workers on a par with those of their male counterparts.

Replying to a question about the 7th wage award for journalists, Chaudhry Shujaat said he would ensure that the cabinet decision of linking advertisements with the wage award was implemented.

He said he would continue to support journalists’ rights while the implementation of the wage award would be handled by Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.