ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: Pakistan Muslim League-Q secretary-general Salim Saifullah Khan has said the present political set-up was transitional in nature and power-sharing between the civil and military establishments will have to be endured for the next five years.

He urged political leaders to close ranks to draw up a political road-map for the future that could not be disrupted by any undemocratic force.

Talking to Dawn here the other day Saifullah Khan said, his party was determined to maintain its supremacy over the government, and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali had always said that he would remain in office as a party worker. He did not agree with the notion that the party had allowed its office- bearers to violate the party constitution which keeps government and party offices separate. He said the party president had asked all party leaders who have been elevated to a public office to resign from their party offices.

About Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to the US, the PML leader said that Sharif family has substantial contribution in national politics and they must be welcomed if they were readying themselves for playing their role in the country.

About the INS issue, he said: “Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri was still in Washington and meeting the highups of the administration as president Bush himself has had a chance meeting with him to reassure continued American backing for Pakistan”.

About senate elections he said: “We have joined hands with other parties including ANP, PPP Sherpao, PML-N in the NWFP and similar policy of cooperation with opposition parties in other provinces had been adopted”.