LAHORE, Sept 16: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz sees no political impact on the presidential election if all members of the opposition alliance APDM resign from assemblies.

“The present assemblies are going to complete their term within a couple of weeks and the masses will not give any importance to the resignations by the opposition members,” the prime minister told newsmen at the Governor’s House on Sunday.

However, he said, it would be better if all parties took part in the process. “The opposition members reserve the right to vote against Gen Pervez Musharraf,” he said.

The process of the presidential election will begin after the announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission under the provisions of the Constitution.

Exemption from the two-year rule for the presidential election had been given under the constitutional provision, Mr Aziz said, claiming that the Supreme Court had already given its ruling in this regard.

He said petitions and other reservations about the uniformed president had been with the apex court. The government, he added, had great respect for the Supreme Court and would honour all its verdicts.

The prime minister dismissed reports that Begum Sehba Musharraf would be the covering candidate for President Musharraf.

He said the present assemblies would complete their term on Nov 15 this year and later a caretaker government would hold the general elections within 60 days.

The federal government, in cooperation with the provincial governments, had taken effective measures to control prices of edibles, especially flour, during Ramazan, the prime minister asserted.

He also said that a complete ban had been imposed on wheat export, but flour export to Afghanistan through land route had been allowed.

He said lists of wheat hoarders had been provided to the provincial governments, which had launched a massive crackdown against them.

The Punjab government had increased wheat quota to flour mills besides launching a massive crackdown on the wheat hoarders, he claimed. A network of Utility Stores had been expanded as there were at present 3,600 such outlets in the country, the prime minister said.