KARACHI, July 26: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has categorically ruled out any top-level change in the federal and provincial governments and reiterated that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim will perform their duties till the 2007 general elections.

“There will be no change in the current set up. Mr Aziz and Mr Rahim will continue to fulfil their responsibilities till the general elections,” President Musharraf said, while addressing a meeting of senators, MNAs, MPAs, district nazims and other leaders of the ruling PML at the Chief Minister’s House here on Wednesday.

Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and the chief minister were also present.

He directed the leaders of the PML to shun their differences and get prepared for the 2007 elections.

Advising party men to stop media war and criticism against each other, he said that he and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain would see to it that their differences were resolved.

The president said that he had directed the PML chief to resolve the issue and in case of Chaudhry Shujaat’s failure he himself would intervene and everyone would have to accept his decision.

The president also met separately with some legislators led by Sardar Ali Gohar Mehar and Liaquat Ali Jatoi. Referring to their grievances with the chief minister, he said that committees would be formed to resolve the matter.

President Musharraf made it clear that the unity of command in Sindh was with Mr Rahim and said that nobody should have any doubt about it. Neither the chief minister nor the prime minister would be changed, he added.

He said that the chief minister was their team captain and they should approach Dr Rahim for resolving their problems. He also assured them that he would continue to play his role.

He also directed the chief minister to take them along, consult them in the development of Sindh and meet them in their constituencies.

The president said that committees would be set up at the provincial and federal level to resolve mutual conflicts and he himself would monitor their performance.

He said: “We want the people of Sindh to progress and development projects in Sindh will be completed under the supervision of MNAs. Already the work is in progress on Khushhal Pakistan and Rozgar Pakistan schemes while separate funds have been provided for special projects.”

President Musharraf urged PML workers to activate the party in the province and said that their unity would counter the anti-government moves of the MMA and ARD.

He said that the former prime ministers — Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto — did not trust each other and PML-N people in Punjab would not support the PPP.

About the threats of no-trust motion from the opposition parties, the president said that there were certain options with the government to counter the move.

Earlier, the chief minister informed the president that the PML had emerged victorious in 23 districts of Sindh in the local government elections.

He said PML membership campaign was going on satisfactorily and in Karachi about 200,000 while in Hyderabad 40,000 members had been enrolled.