ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: The PPP and PML(Q), the two main political forces that emerged in elections, made first formal contact here on Wednesday.

President PPP Makhdoom Amin Fahim lobbying for the formation of a ‘government of national consensus’ called on Chaudhry Shujjat Hussain who has been nominated as the parliamentary leader of PML(Q).

The two leaders after an hour-long meeting said they had agreed that the situation called for developing mutual cooperation and shunning the past differences.

However, they dropped the strong hint that the two sides still had to cover a lot of ground and sort out a number of issues to become coalition partners in the proposed government of national consensus.

“We tried to bring home the point that we should have to adopt policy of live and let live,” Mr Hussain told a bunch of reporters anxiously waiting outside.

Mr Fahim said he asked the PML(Q) leaders that they would have to eschew the past acrimonies in the larger interest of democracy and the country.

A source disclosed that Mr Fahim presented his candidature for prime ministership and asked the support of PML(Q) for establishing government of national consensus.

The PML(Q) leaders who were present at the meeting besides Mr Hussain did not give any reply saying that they would discuss the proposal at their party central executive meeting being held here on Saturday.

The visit of Mr Fahim to the residence of Mr Hussain was in itself an event of great political significance, a PML(Q) leader remarked.

Regarding the sharp difference between the two parties over the constitutional amendments made by the present government, Mr Hussain said, “they will sit and sort it out.”

Both the leaders avoided to reply a question whether they would support Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman who had been nominated as a candidate for prime ministership by the MMA.