ISLAMABAD Sept 11: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz reiterated resolve of the government on Saturday to solve problems of the people and to convert Pakistan into an enlightened, forward looking and modern state.

Talking to a number of MNAs and a couple of ministers of state belonging to the coalition parties at prime minister's house, the premier asked them to come up with precise and development-oriented schemes for their respective constituencies which could benefit the common man and assured full support of the federal government in execution of such schemes.

The MPs and ministers of state included Dr Shahzad Wasim, Mian Amjad Yasin, Ms Rifat Amjad, Liaquat Hussain Bhatti, Mehdi Hassan Bhatti, Rais Munir Ahmed, Ms Kashmala Tariq, Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz.

The prime minister also met a delegation of bishops drawn from all over the country.

On the occasion, he said that minorities in Pakistan enjoyed equal rights and cited restoration of joint electorate as a clear manifestation of government's commitment to make them part of the mainstream.

He said interfaith similarities were much stronger than differences. Mr Aziz said that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) preached tolerance and Islam was a religion of peace.

Pakistan being an enlightened moderate state, he said, believed in freedom of expression and freedom of faith.

The prime minister said: "We want people from different religions to be a binding force of Pakistan and values of truth and tolerance should be common values."

He referred to the speeches of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, in which he talked of freedom of faith and religion. Pakistan protected both social and religious rights of the minorities.

Led by MNA Mushtaq Victor, the bishops' delegation congratulated Mr Aziz on assuming the office of prime minister and prayed for his success.