September 20, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 07, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: The government will accept the Supreme Court’s verdict in the president’s dual offices case and will act in accordance with the Constitution, according to the chief of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Talking to reporters at the party’s secretariat, he ruled out the possibility of imposition of martial law and said that the government would adopt other constitutional options to end the crisis, like extending the assemblies’ tenure.

About the ongoing debate on the issue of president’s uniform, he said: “This issue must not be considered in the light of the wishes of the government or the opposition. It is better left to the Supreme Court. We will accept the Supreme Court’s verdict,” he asserted. Referring to APDM’s threat of resigning from assemblies if the Election Commission accepted Gen Musharraf’s nomination papers, Chaudhry Shujaat said: “Time for resigning has passed because the tenure of assemblies is nearing its end.”

Answering a question about the stalled dialogue between the government and the PPP, he said: “The PPP leader wanted to come into power at any cost. President Musharraf did not like this and, therefore, the dialogues stalled.”

He said the government was not considering the option of dissolving the assemblies if presidential election was delayed for any reason.

Chaudhry Shujaat insisted that the government would take steps strictly in accordance with the Constitution.

He denied reports about his becoming a covering candidate in the presidential election.