PESHAWAR, July 25: Federal Minister Amir Muqam has been elected president and Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani general secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League, NWFP. “Making the PML a strong and well-rooted political force of the province is main aim,” Mr Muqam said at the party’s provincial council meeting here on Tuesday.

Earlier, federal Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani as member of the party’s election commission declared Mr Muqam and Mr Ghani elected, unopposed, to the posts.

The meeting was attended by 425 members.

Secretary of the PML’s provincial election commission announced that the nominations papers of the two candidates had been received in the prescribed time.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Durrani said: “President Pervez Musharraf has introduced a new democratic culture and environment, which allows people at the grass-root level to take part in the democratic process.”

He said those days were gone when people came into power through backdoors and now decisions could be taken through elections.

The participants of the meeting reposed confidence in the leadership of Mr Muqam and Mr Ghani.