PESHAWAR, May 12: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said the government believes in good relationship between the centre and the four provinces because it is essential for a public welfare state.

He was speaking at the Frontier’s House where he met NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani to offer condolence on the death of his uncle Mir Mohammad Khan. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, federal minister and NWFP president of the ruling PML Amir Muqam and Nazim Peshawar Haji Ghulam Ali were present on the occasion.

“We have a common goal of public welfare and uniform development in all provinces of the country and we need to work together to achieve this goal,” an official press release quoted him as saying.

He said it was a national obligation to bring about improvement at all levels.

The Punjab chief minister said that closer interaction among the federating units was in the interest of the country. He said the Punjab government had taken a number of decisions on the demand of the NWFP chief minister to mitigating sufferings of commuters between the NWFP and the Punjab.

“We are trying to improve relations among the provinces, not only at the government level but also among their people,” he said.

Mr Durrani said that all political forces in the NWFP were taken into confidence in the decision-making process. He said opposition members were accorded as much respect as legislators of the ruling alliance.