ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the parliamentary party leader of the PML(QA), has called for forging “consensus” among political parties to form national and provincial governments.

“We are meeting all the politicians and other concerned people with a view to forging consensus for establishing a credible government, especially in the Centre,” he told Dawn on Tuesday.

The leader of the PML(QA), which won the largest number of seats in the elections, did not rule out the possibility of a “national government” but hastened to add: “I do not think it can happen unless some political parties give up the politics of individualism”.

He said his party was set to form the government in the Centre with the help of like-minded political parties and independent MNAs. “Yet, we are ready to cooperate with all the political parties provided they adopt a compromising policy to form the new government.”

Knowledgeable sources claimed that the government wanted the PML(QA) and the PPP to cooperate with each other for the formation of the government, and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to sit in the opposition.

In reply to a question, Chaudhry Shujaat said his party could forge better understanding with the MMA to form the government in the Centre and the provinces.

“We have worked with religious parties in the defunct Islami Jamhoori Ittehad in 1988 and as such they can be our natural allies.”

However, he did not rule out the possibility of having “certain cooperation” between the PML(QA) and the PPP. “We have not closed our doors, but anybody who wants our cooperation will have to adopt certain compromising policy,” he said.

Asked to elaborate on the compromising policy, Chaudhry Shujaat said: “We all will have to give up our personal interest and work only in the national interest”.