ATTOCK, Feb 3: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has announced that he will contest the election from the same Constituency of NA-59 Attock III in the next general elections.

Addressing a public gathering at Qutbal village here on Saturday after inaugurating a natural gas supply scheme, the prime minister thanked the people of the district for electing him to parliament. “I am very optimistic that people of this constituency will elect me again,” he said.

The prime minister said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf would contest the presidential elections, which would be held this year according to the Constitution.

He said the next general election would be free, fair and transparent and foreign media would be invited to monitor the elections.

He said that the ruling PML and its allied parties would contest the general election from a single platform.

The prime minister said that no legislation could be made against the spirit of Islamic injunctions in Pakistan.

Referring to the Women Protection Act, he said the law passed by parliament was aimed at protecting women from violence, providing them their due rights and ensuring their empowerment in all spheres of life.

Mr Aziz said Pakistan had a strong defence and no one could even dare to cast an evil eye on it.

On the Kashmir and Palestinian issues, he said their resolution was imperative for peace and stability of the region and of the world at large.

The prime minister said the recent visit of President Musharraf to five Middle East countries was part of efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue in a peaceful manner.