ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday sided with ruling Pakistan Muslim League chief Chaudhry Shujaat Husain in the wake of a call from the so-called forward bloc in the party for resignation of PML’s central and Punjab presidents.

Talking to reporters at the launching ceremony of a book Paradise lost on the tragedy of the Oct 8 earthquake, the prime minister said that Chaudhry Shujaat was the party leader and hoped that the party matters would be resolved “and we are in contact with the members of the forward bloc”.

“Forward bloc is an internal matter of the party and it (such developments) is part of the democratic system. All our efforts would be aimed at resolving the issue amicably. Chaudhry Shujaat is the party leader and we support him,” he maintained.

The prime minister avoided responding to a suggestion coming from the forward bloc that he should take over the party leadership.

In reply to a question about his meeting with Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Liaquat Baloch in the National Assembly, Mr Aziz said he had requested the opposition leaders to expedite their response to the government’s letter about the parliamentary committee on reconstruction and rehabilitation of the quake-hit areas.

He said the government wished that the reconstruction work should be made as transparent as possible and added that a three-layer plan had been made towards that goal: first the funds would be audited by the auditor-general of Pakistan, then private auditors and finally, a committee of eminent personalities would oversee it.

About the government’s proposed contacts with opposition parties on the issue of the Kalabagh dam, he said: “First the experts’ reports on the reservoirs’ position, including the Abbasi report, will be released to invoke public interest and then formal meetings with the political leadership will be held.”

He said that relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities had been going on according to the programme.