NEW YORK, Nov 11: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here on Saturday that elections next year would be free and fair but declined to say whether the two political leaders in exile, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, would be able to return to the country to participate in the elections.

He said that they would be dealt according to the law of the land.

Addressing a press conference at the end of his visit to New York, he said that the return of the leaders had nothing to do with the results of the American elections since Pakistan was a sovereign country.

Mr Aziz said that there would be no effect on Pakistan following the victory of Democrats in midterm elections and that the government had already been in contact with the incoming congressional leadership.

"We are in touch with several Democratic lawmakers, including Senator John Kerry, as well as the Bush Administration," he added.

He said Pakistan would have more contacts with the new US congressional leadership as it assumed leadership of various House and Senate bodies.

Prime Minister Aziz and Senator Kerry, a presidential candidate in 2,004 elections, spoke on telephone during the visit.

Pakistan, he emphasised, was guided by its national interests and the country pursued its foreign policy solely with that objective.

"Pakistan is a sovereign country and its foreign policy is pursued purely in national interest and not for any personal causes. It is the pursuance of foreign policy in national interests that brings success," he added in response to a question.

Reflecting on his visit to the United Nations where he submitted a report to the secretary-general on "system-wide coherence in the UN system," he noted that Pakistan believed in the world body.

He also noted that from January Pakistan would head the G—77 group of 132 countries and play a leading role in the UN system.

Asked about the resolution of Kashmir issue, Mr Aziz said that Pakistan would continue to press the issue at various UN forums and seek justice for the Kashmiri people.