PESHAWAR, May 8: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq said on Saturday that elected governments had the constitutional right to complete their mandated period. Talking to reporters after addressing a meeting of the executive committee of the Sarhad Chamber , the minister said that the elected governments should be allowed to complete their terms, and there were set procedures for the removal of governments in the constitution.

He said the practice of dislodging elected governments should be done away with for the betterment of the country.

To a question, the minister brushed aside the rumours about an in-house change at the centre and added that there seemed to be no reason to remove the present setup.

In reply to a question, Mr Haq said that not a single corruption scandal had surfaced in the three-and-a-half years tenure of the previous setup led by General Pervez Musharraf and the present regime headed by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali. Had there been any corruption scam, the PML-N and the PPPP would have arranged workshops and seminars against the government, the minister said.

About the return of Shahbaz Sharif, the minister said he (Shahbaz) was a master of his own will and could come back anytime he liked.

To another question, the minister said he had made no request for obtaining any party office, nor Chattha and Wattoo had made any demand to this effect. He said, "We are trying to unite all the factions of the Muslim League, and after the May 12 General Council meeting of the party, a clear picture of the party will emerge."

However, he clarified that the N faction of the PML could join the Muttahida league provided it parted ways with the ARD and the PPPP.

To a question, he said the performance of the opposition parties remained dismal and except for thumping desks, they did nothing concrete for the welfare of the common man.-APP