ISLAMABAD, Sept 6: PML-N’s presidential candidate Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui and PML-Q’s Senator Mushahid Hussain conceded on Saturday their defeat in the presidential election, saying that polling was conducted in a smooth and democratic manner.

Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House after the announcement of election results, Jutice Siddiqui said: “Results should be acknowledged with an open heart to maintain a cordial atmosphere so that the country could be pulled out of a difficult situation.”

In reply to a question if he had found any evidence of ‘horse-trading’ during the election campaign, he said: “Frankly, not much. But during my visit to Quetta, I heard that the government had distributed Rs25 million among legislators, obviously to influence the poll.”

PML-Q’s presidential candidate Mushahid Hussain, who got only 44 votes, out of the 685 polled, congratulated Mr Zardari on his own behalf and that of his party’s president, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Flanked by Chaudhry Shujaat and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Mr Hussain hailed the “courage and fortitude” shown by legislators who voted for him despite “enticements, government pressures and hardships”.

Without appearing to be perturbed by the defeat, the PML-Q leaders looked composed, and said they would “take care of people who had stood by us instead of getting tough on those who dissented against the party policy”.

Chaudhry Shujaat said that the president-elect should rise above petty considerations like narrow nationalistic tendencies, adding that he was no more a Sindhi now despite having polled 100 per cent vote from the province. “Now he should think about the welfare of whole Pakistan.”

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said: “We have to find out those who violated the party discipline after getting elected on the party’s ticket.”

Senator Mushahid said the new president should must now tackle daunting issues like the “war on terror”, price hike and convene a joint session of parliament to discuss the issues.

Earlier, talking about the possible impact on the country of the outcome of the presidential poll, PML- leader Khwaja Asif said: “We hope Mr Zardari will not adopt the traditional dictatorial attitude after getting elected.”

When questioned about the future of Centre-Punjab ties, he said: “If anyone challenges us, everyone knows we will fight back.” Senior PML-N leader Javed Hashmi said: “None of us, including myself, Mr Asif Ali Zardari or Mian Nawaz Sharif, suffered hardships in jail to reach the seat of power. And if anyone of us has ascended to that position, he has put himself to the greatest test of his life.”

He said that after the hardships suffered by Mr Zardari, “certainly he will not like the same era to return”, adding that he was now expected to do something good for the nation.

Adviser on industries Manzoor Wattoo, who has been reportedly tasked with destabilising the PML-N government in Punjab and paving the way for the induction of a PPP-led government there, said: “We are part of the provincial government and we will remain as such for, if we leave it the CM will be asked to take fresh vote of confidence.”

He said the forward bloc in Punjab would have no constitutional standing to support any party’s government.