September 23, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 10, 1428

PESHAWAR, Sept 22: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Saturday that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leadership would act wisely during the presidential election and promote healthy politics in the country.

He was talking to journalists at the Abdara Road residence of Maulana Hasan Jan where he came to condole with family members of the slain cleric.

He paid rich tribute to the late cleric and said his death was a tragic incident.

The Punjab CM expressed the hope that the MMA would keep itself at a distance from the forces trying to push the country towards an ‘unmanageable crisis’. “I hope the MMA will not ask the governor for dissolving the provincial assembly. It will be an extreme step if the religious alliance opts for it.”

Mr Elahi accused opposition leaders of trying to influence the court by making objectionable statements on two offices held by President Pervez Musharraf and said that they wanted to get their choice of verdict from the court.

He said Nawaz Sharif had disappointed his party leaders and workers by giving contradictory statements about the secret deal he had struck with the government before leaving for Saudi Arabia in 2000.

In reply to a question, he said the government would not approach the PML-N chief on any political issue. “His (Nawaz) workers and elected representatives are about to join the ruling PML. Later, Pervaiz Elahi met NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani at the Frontier House, Peshawar.