ISLAMABAD Dec 16: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and the People’s Party Parliamentarians.

Talking to journalists here on Saturday, Mr Aziz said the PML would contest the next general election in alliance with coalition partners in the present government.

The prime minister’s response came in reply to a question about speculations that the ruling PML was considering forming an electoral alliance with the PPP. On Friday, PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, too, had dismissed such reports as baseless.

The prime minister said the PML had yet to take a decision on an alliance with any party, including the PPP, because the party was confident of winning the next election on the `basis of its performance’.

Responding to a question about the recent tirade of Afghan President Hamid Karzai against Islamabad on the Taliban issue, Mr Aziz said Pakistan was working for peace and tranquillity in Afghanistan.

He advised the Afghan government to put its own house in order instead of engaging in a blame game. He said Pakistan believed that stability in Afghanistan would strengthen peace and stability in the region.

In reply to a question about the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s decision to defer resigning from assemblies, the prime minister said it would strengthen democracy and democratic institutions in the country.

He said the MMA and all parties should refrain from steps that would hurt interests of their constituents.

About the Women’s Protection Act, Mr Aziz said the government wanted to empower women and the act was a step in that direction. More laws to end women’s deprivation were being framed, he added. He ruled out any amendment to the act.