LAHORE, Oct 19: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has advised Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to ban rallies during the coming general elections to obviate the possibility of suicide bombings.

At a meeting at his residence here on Friday, Chaudhry Shujaat said public meetings should be allowed only at designated places and that too on the request of political parties.

A meeting is to be held in Islamabad in a few days to take a final decision in this regard.

Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem, provincial minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and Commander Khalil also attended the meeting.

Later talking to reporters, the PML chief said he did not agree with Farooq Leghari’s proposal that a national government should be set up as elections could not be held peacefully when suicide bombings were taking place in various parts of the country.

Chaudhry Shujaat said if the government decided to delay the polls, many people would say that the government was deliberately allowing the law and order situation to deteriorate. He said elections should be held on time so that every party could gauge its popularity. “We don’t want to give an impression that we don’t want elections on time”.

The PML president did not give much importance to Asif Ali Zardari’s allegation that an intelligence agency was involved in Karachi blasts and that the Pakistan People’s Party could review its reconciliation policy towards the government. He said: “The PML wants to take all parties along to strengthen democracy”.

Answering a question, Chaudhry Shujaat said all political parties should avoid levelling allegations on their opponents and work together to find out where the suicide bombers were coming from and what motivated them to lay down their lives.

He also said that Gen Pervez Musharraf would take off his uniform by November 15. But in case the Supreme Court came up with a verdict against him, the government could extend the term of the National Assembly or dissolve it.