ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has expressed satisfaction over the successful completion of the first phase of the local body polls. Gen Musharraf met Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain at the President’s Rawalpindi Camp Office.

The president advised the ruling PML to take all coalition parties into confidence in the election process of the district, tehsil and town nazims in the third phase of the polls.

A party source said that the meeting discussed the overall political situation with particular reference to the local council elections.

The source said that they were satisfied with the first phase of the polls. Mr Aziz said the government was determined to maintain law and order in the second phase of the elections.

The meeting discussed the success of candidates backed by the PML and its coalition partners in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Gen Musharraf was satisfied with the way polls were conducted.

He asked the government to ensure that the general message of the local council polls went in favour of the government’s ability to hold fair, free and transparent elections which would have a bearing on the 2007 general elections. He was concerned about the internal strife in the ruling PML and coalition parties on the issue of candidates for nazim seats in the last phase and asked the PML leadership to take care of all stakeholders.

Earlier, Chaudhry Shujaat and Senator Mushahid Hussain met Mr Aziz at the Prime Minister’s House to brief him on the political situation after the first phase of the local polls.