ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Chau-dhry Shujaat Hussain, parliamentary party leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, said here on Saturday that the PML-Q government would continue the policies of President Gen Pervez Musharraf “in the larger interest of the country.”

He said: “There will be no change in the policies and we will continue the reform agenda of President Musharraf.”

Talking to reporters after the oath-taking ceremony of the prime minister and his cabinet members at Aiwan-i-Sadr, he claimed that Musharraf was the only leader in the 55 years of history of Pakistan who fulfilled all his promises made with the people, including the holding of “fair and free” elections on a given date.

“According to the promise made by Gen Musharraf, there has been a smooth transfer of power today,” Shujaat said.

He said people were even betting that the military government would not hold general elections. “But it all proved wrong,” he said, adding that there would be no conflict of interest between the government and the president.

In reply to a question, he said for the first time a powerful opposition had emerged in the country. “We specially respect the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) for getting the huge mandate of the people.”

Shujaat expressed the hope that his party’s government would have cordial relations with the opposition parties, but regretted that the People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPP) members did not attend the oath-taking ceremony although they were duly invited.

Asked why he did not prefer to become the federal minister, he said he had already conveyed to his partymen that he was not interested in any ministerial slot and that he would “serve the people” in his present capacity.

One of his main efforts, he said, would be to create harmony and better relations with all parties in the parliament.

To a question, Shujaat said he was confident that the new government would complete its five-year term. “We would run the affairs of the country by taking into confidence the opposition parties as well.”

He said time had come when the politics of victimisation should come to an end and a new era of cooperation started in order to pull the country out of all kinds of political and economic crises.

Asked how did the new government see its relations with the PPP, he said all parties of the parliament would be given due respect and recognition by the PML-Q government.

“Our government will look for cooperation from everyone,” he said, adding that the parliament was the best forum to settle political disputes.