ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the final phase of the local government elections were held according to the code of ethics issued by the Election Commission and the whole process was clean and transparent as were in the first and second phases.

The prime minister was talking to a group of ministers and parliamentarians who called on him to discussed the post-poll situation.

The prime minister said the people had given their mandate to the pro-development and moderate forces. These elections would augur well for empowering people through local participation and would help to solve their problems at their door steps.

He said that the government had taken various development- initiatives in the country for the prosperity of common people. He referred to the Khushhal Pakistan Programme and said it would provide electricity, gas, roads and clean drinking water to the common people besides improving the sanitation system.

On the launching of a programme totalling Rs2.5 billion for controlling Hepatitis and reinvigorating basic health units to provide primary, secondary and tertiary health care to the people, the government, he said, is also focusing on improving education by revising the syllabus, increasing adult literacy and focusing on higher education.

Prime Minister Aziz said the government has allocated record funds for improving the infrastructure — roads, electricity and the telecommunication sector — to meet the increasing requirements of the growing economy and improving the quality of life.

Those who called on the prime minister included: Minister for Agriculture Sardar Sikander Hayat Bosan, Minister for Tourism G.G. Jammal, State Minister for Defence Production Zahid Hamid, , State Minister for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Khusroo Bakhtiar, , State Minister for Culture Mohammad Ali Durrani, State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Kharand, MNAs Sardar Nasrullah Dreshak, Gyan Chand Singh, Bushra Anwar Sipra, Syed Asghar Ali Shah, Umar Nazir, Sheikh Waqas, Saifullah Tiwana, Khalid Lund, Sardar Jaffar Leghari, Mena Ehasan Leghari, Khwaja Sheraz and Asim Nazir.

A REPORTER ADDS: PML secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said people have reposed confidence in the policies of the government by voting for the moderate, progressive candidates.

He was addressing a press conference at the PML House.

The PML secretary information and State Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Senator Tariq Azeem, Senator Nisar Memon and others were also present on the occasion.

Mr Syed said people voted for the continuation of the government policies.

He said observers from foreign countries, diplomats and human rights organization observed the whole election process. It was fair, free and impartial.

Expressing satisfaction over the peaceful completion of elections, he said people voted for their better future and to strengthen the democratic process in the country.

The PML has emerged as the single popular party in these elections.

Referring to the reports of allegations of rigging, he said at a number of places PML supported candidates even lost.

“Now it would be policy of the PML to take along all party leaders to push forward the political process and strengthen the party at the grass-roots level.”

He said enrolment drive of the PML would be completed by December 31 and list of members would be computerised as it would be the electoral roll for the intra-party election which would be completed by August 14, next year.

He urged the opposition to honour the mandate of the party being elected by the people in the elections.

Senator Tariq Azeem claimed the opposition has failed to get publics’ support as they had nothing new and only engaged in negative politics.

He said holding elections on schedule after four years, was the credit of the PML government.