PESHAWAR, Sept 7: The NWFP chapter of the Pakistan Muslim League has urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf not to shed his uniform till complete eradication of terrorism from the country and putting Pakistan on road to economic stability.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club here on Monday, provincial president of the PML Agha Syed Ali Shah said the country needed the services of President Pervez Musharraf and there was no need for him to shed the uniform till the accomplishment of goals he had set after coming into power.

It may be added that on Sunday Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is also president of the PML Punjab, urged the president not to shed his uniform for at least five years, maintaining that his dual office was linked with the security and stability of the country.

Replying to questions about reports of differences within the provincial PML, Mr Shah said elections for various posts of the PML were held here on Aug 24 in which he was unanimously elected provincial president.

"There is no need for re-election in the party," he said to a questioner, adding that he had sent minutes of the elections to the central leadership of the PML and there would be no elections at least for three years.

The elections were conducted under the supervision of Azam Khan, the chief election commission of the PML, he added. Mr Shah said there were no differences between him and the PML-Q MPAs, saying the MPAs who met Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain were those who sought release of development funds for the province.

Though Agha Syed Ali Shah's office as provincial chief of the PML-Q was criticized and challenged by a group within the party, a large number of Leaguers were present on the occasion which showed that he was no more a controversial president of the provincial PML.

Those who were present at the press conference included Azam Khan, Arbab Akbar Hayat, Manzoor Qureshi, Arifullah, Intikhab Khan and Muazam Butt. However, Wajihuz Zaman, provincial general secretary of the party, and some other PML-Q MPAs failed to turn up.

Meanwhile, Zar Gul Khan Yousafzai, a PML MPA from Kala Dhaka, while talking to a group of journalists at the MPA Hostel here on Monday, urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf to retain both the offices to achieve the target of prosperous and terrorism-free Pakistan.

Zar Gul Khan, who was elected as an independent MPA and later joined the PML-Q, is one of the most vocal members in the NWFP Assembly. He also played a major role in the Senate elections.