MULTAN, Aug 18: President Pervez Musharraf has said local bodies will not be dissolved during the general elections and that the `best interest’ of the Pakistan Muslim League will be watched while holding the ongoing `dialogue’ with the Pakistan Peoples’ Party.

He was addressing ruling PML parliamentarians from Multan, Sahiwal, Khenawal, Pakpattan, Layyah, Muzzafargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan districts during his southern Punjab tour on Saturday aimed at gathering support for his re-election.

The president said he would keep PML president Shujaat Husain and Punjab Chief Minister Pevaiz Elahi on board as they had been standing by him in the past.

He said to provide low-price daily commodities to the masses some 6,000 utility stores would be opened in the country by December this year. He claimed that poverty rate in the country had declined from 33 per cent to 24 per cent owing to government’s economic policies. Efforts would also be made to keep the prices of daily commodities stable in Ramazan, he added.

The president said talks with the PPP were still under way and everything would be done keeping in view the best interest of the PML-Q. He asked the parliamentarians to join hands with the government for the prosperity of the country.

”Terrorism and militancy have been hampering the country’s progress, and the menaces should be uprooted at all costs.”

About presidential election, he said it would be conducted between Sept 15 and Oct 15 and the supremacy of Constitution would be maintained in the process. The president claimed that record funds were released for the development of southern Punjab, and the government would establish an engineering varsity in the region. Multan TV station and airport would be also be expanded, he added.

Parliamentarians offered various suggestions about the presidential election.

BAHAWALPUR: The president stressed the need for consolidating the existing political system for continuation of the process of economic progress and policies of the government in the country.

He was addressing the ruling party MNAs, MPAs, senators and nazims from Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Lodhran, Vehari and Rajanpur districts at Shaikh Raashid airport here. The president said 2007 was election year and pledged fair polls.

He said all out efforts had been made to provide basic amenities to the people of backward areas. He said the poverty ratio had reduced in the country as thousands of new industrial units were providing job opportunities to people.

The president said the country’s defence was in safe hands and the Pakistan was now held in high esteem in the comity of nations.

He said terrorism and extremism were dangerous for the country, adding the elements involved in such activities were neither serving Islam nor the country. He urged collective efforts to face the challenge posed by extremism.

He said MPs and nazims should sink their mutual differences and work for strengthening democracy.

Earlier, in his address, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said he had diverted uplift projects towards south Punjab and the 11 per cent additional funds were allocated for the region as compared to its population ratio.

He said during the last seven years, development funds to the tune of Rs111 billion had been utilised in south Punjab.

On the occasion, members of the parliament assured the president of their support.