ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has confirmed that the government is in contact with Ms Benazir Bhutto in order to have a certain arrangement on the future political set-up of the country.

"We need to discourage extremist elements by working with moderate political parties, including the PPP, especially to have some agreement beyond 2007," he said.

Speaking at a news conference at the President House on Thursday, he confirmed Information Minister Sheikh Rashid's repeated statements that the government was in touch with the PPP to hammer out some sort of an agreement about the future political set-up of the country. "But let me clarify that we are not discussing with the PPP whether new elections will be held in 2005 or 2007," the president said and added that election was not the subject of discussion with the PPP.

He said extremist forces were out to take the country back to the dark ages which needed to be checked with the support of all moderate political parties and forces of the country.

In reply to a question about sacking of a provincial minister on corruption charges by Sindh chief minister, Gen Musharraf said it was the right of the chief minister of Sindh to take action against his minister to discourage corrupt practices in the government. According to the chief minister, he said, there was rampant corruption in the revenue department of the province.

"But I hope the prime minister's inspection team that has been deputed for the task, would dig the truth," the president said. "This is an administrative issue and we should not make any hue and cry over it," he said, rejecting assertions that the Centre was interfering in the affairs of Sindh by allowing prime minister's inspection team to probe into the corruption issue.

He said Centre was not violating any provisions of the provincial autonomy over the latest corruption issue in Sindh. He advised the MMA leadership to accept the rule of the majority in the largest interest of the country and avoid indulging in the politics of agitation.

The president said he was a great supporter of democracy and would not do anything which hurt democratic institutions. "Even my being in military uniform is helping democracy flourish in Pakistan."

In reply to a question about the Kalabagh dam, the president said that Sindh would gain the most from the construction of the Kalabagh dam. He said he himself belonged to the Sindh province and could never think of bringing any harm to his own province.

The president justified the increase in salaries of ministers, senators and MNAs and said the government had earlier increased salaries of its employees which would be further increased at an "appropriate time."

When asked about performing of umra at government's expenses by sitting and former prime ministers, he said if somebody did that it was very unfortunate. However, he said, Chaudhry Shujaat, during his brief prime minister ship, had taken with him some people on umra at his own expenses.

Similarly, he confirmed the purchase of bullet proof cars and said such cars were necessary for the protection of VVIPs. He said he had given one such car to Mr Shaukat Aziz which saved his life when he was attacked by a suicide bomber at Fateh Jhang, near Islamabad last year. "Had I not given my car to the prime minister he would not have been alive today."