ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: President Pervez Musharraf has called upon leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League to shun their internal differences and make the party more vibrant in order to promote democratic norms.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting at the Army House on Monday. The meeting which was attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Mushahid Hussain Syed and other PML leaders, discussed the overall political situation, the third phase of local body polls and rifts in the party.

The president said powers had been devolved to the grassroots level to empower the poor.

“Local governments will have to make this silent revolution a success and I am with them,” he added.

In the new system, he said, people had been made masters of their own destiny and enabled to resolve their day-to-day local problems. Moreover, neglected sections of society — peasants, workers and womenfolk — have been given an increased quota of seats at the union, tehsil and district council levels.

President Musharraf said people should elect the honest and the sincere in the third phase of polls to be held on October 6.

According to sources the president urged party leaders to nominate honest and sincere candidates for the posts of nazim and naib nazim. Their loyalty to party should also be kept in mind.

The president also briefed the PML leadership on his address to the American Jewish Council and said Pakistan would not recognise Israel as a state until it vacated all occupied areas.

The Israeli pullout from Gaza was a welcome sign and Pakistan appreciated it. However, the issue of Israel’s recognition would not be considered until Israel withdrew its troops from all occupied areas, he added.

The president brushed aside rumours of any change in PML leadership and also stressed that parliament would complete its term.

Ch Pervaiz Elahi briefed the meeting on the political situation in Punjab and said that his government was taking decisions in consultation with the party.

However, everyone in the party was bound to abide by decisions taken by the party leadership, he added.

Some important decisions about PML’s future were taken at the meeting.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Ch Shujaat Hussain informed the party leadership about their contacts and meetings with opposition parties.

They also rejected rumours about introduction of presidential system in the country.