ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League could contest and win the 2007 election along with its coalition partners on the basis of its performance.

Talking to media persons at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat regarding reports of President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s point-men holding talks with the PPP, Mr Aziz said political contacts were an ongoing process but the ruling PML was confident to contest elections on its own. He expressed his ignorance about the merger talks with the PPP (Patriot).

Earlier, the premier spoke at a merit awards ceremony of 200 students selected from various parts of the rural Punjab for Information Technology specialisation at the Fast national university.

Answering a question about the recent arrests of people involved in planting missiles in Islamabad, he said all the eight people held were Pakistanis and none of them was a high profile Al Qaeda man. He said investigations were going on and no lead had been found.

About Indian allegations about ISI’s involvement in Mumbai blasts, he said India had not produced any solid proof or shared it with Pakistan.

The prime minister said that Pakistan wanted to live in peace with its neighbours.

He urged the Indian government to stop the blame-game and join hands for sustainable peace in the region through composite dialogue.