Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf shakes hands with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. – File Photo by APP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf at the Prime Minister House on Friday and congratulated him and the PPP on the electoral victory of its candidate in the Multan bye-elections.

The victory amply reflects the expression of trust of the people in the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the incumbent democratic coalition government, the PML-Q chief said.

Hussain said it was a matter of satisfaction and all were happy that the elections in Multan were fair and free by any standard.

He said that the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was a man of integrity and his selection for the top job in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) through consensus would pave the way for free, fair and impartial elections in the country.

The PML-Q chief expressed his satisfaction over the successful visit of the prime minister to Afghanistan. The outcomes of bilateral and trilateral talks among Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom are truly heart warming for the people of the three countries, he added.

The premier thanked Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi for their sentiments and said that together “we will surmount the challenges facing by the democracy and in this regard the support of PML-Q is of immense value.”

The prime minister said that his visit to Afghanistan was truly successful as it provided an opportunity to reiterate Pakistan’s unequivocal support for the political peace and reconciliation process, which was Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.

He said his meeting with the political leadership of Afghanistan was substantive and productive because it provided an opportunity to dispel the mutual misperceptions, which could have deepened without the direct engagement.

The premier said that he had invited them to visit Pakistan to meet the political leaders of Pakistan and all of them accepted his invitation.

The prime minister said he was of the firm view that engagements at the government, political and people’s levels was of great importance as the understanding reached in that way would surely have lasting effects and the chances of misunderstanding would be reduced.