ISLAMABAD, May 6: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Saturday advised the leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League to leave aside their reservations against party organisation and focus on next year’s general elections which he said would be held on time.
The president while talking to senior leaders of the party and three district nazims from Rawalpindi division stressed the need of completion of development projects in their constituencies.
The PML delegation which met the president at his Rawalpindi camp office included party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, secretary-general Mushahid Hussain, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, federal ministers Maj (Retd) Tahir Iqbal, Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Sheikh Rashid, Malik Allah Yar Khan and district nazims of Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Jhelum, Raja Javed Akhlas, Sardar Ghulam Abbas and Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf, respectively.
The president is expected to continue meeting party legislators from other districts of Punjab in a few days to ascertain their input on current political issues.
The president during his detailed interaction with the PML leaders said that the role of Punjab being the largest province of the country was most important and decisive and its leadership needed to broaden its view to put the country on path of enlightened moderation.
He asked the PML leaders to ensure that their internal differences did not harm the party’s rating in the next year’s general elections.
Gen Musharraf expressed satisfaction on smooth working of local governments and asked for strengthening liaison between various tiers of the local bodies and the provincial government.
He directed the party leadership to take correct decisions to end differences.
The issue of party elections also came up for debate and the president asked the PML leadership to take care that the process was completed in accordance with democratic norms.
The ministers and district nazims briefed the president about developmental schemes being carried out in their areas, including roads, gas, electricity, water and power schemes.