ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani assured Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday that the centre would not support any undemocratic move to dislodge or undermine the Punjab government.

Mr Gilani called the chief minister and said that Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s fears about the centre’s purported efforts to undermine and dislodge the Punjab government were misplaced.

According to a handout, the prime minister also advised the Punjab governor to “avoid making statements which may vitiate the political atmosphere”.

In the same vein, he asked former provincial PPP chief Qasim Zia to exercise restraint in issuing statements that might adversely affect the atmosphere of political reconciliation.

Federal Information Minister Sherry Rehman said the prime minister had directed all members of the government to avoid making inflammatory statements that might “aggravate the situation between the centre and Punjab”.

However, some private television channels reported that Governor Salman Taseer and Mr Zia had refused to stop issuing statements.According to official sources, Mr Gilani and the chief minister discussed the political situation in Punjab and the statements issued by both sides.

The prime minister said PML-N’s fears were misplaced and no-one was trying to destabilise the Punjab government.

He said that hasty decisions and actions based on miscalculation could harm the democratic endeavours of all parties.

He said he believed in a policy of consensus, reconciliation and respect for each other’s electoral mandate. Prime Minister Gilani said the unopposed election to Senate seats from Punjab, the NWFP and the capital “is an unprecedented reflection of political sagacity of all political parties, particularly the PML-N leadership”.

He expressed the hope that leaders of both parties would demonstrate political maturity at this critical juncture when the country was facing serious challenges.

Mr Gilani also invited Mr Sharif to Islamabad to discuss the political situation.

The prime minister made the call against the backdrop of the PML-N chief’s speech at his party’s convention on Saturday.

APP adds: Pakistan People’s Party had never indulged in any activity that could de-stabilise the provincial coalition government, PPP leader Qasim Zia told a TV channel.

He said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had made some controversial remarks against the PPP leadership and it was necessary to clarify the situation.

Replying to a question, he said the governor had the constitutional right to speak on issues of governance.

He said the PML-N had the right to take part in lawyers’ long march and sit-in, but everybody knew who would be the beneficiary if the democratic system was destabilised.