Bye-polls if MMA quits, says Premier
Kashmir main obstacle in India ties
By Makhdoom Babar

ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the government would take step in line with law if the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal resigns from the Assembly adding that by-elections would be held on all the vacant seats.
He said this while chairing the meeting of the Senate Parliamentary Committee of Pakistan Muslim League and its allied parties held here Wednesday. PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, leader of the House Waseem Sajjad and senators from the allied parties attended the meeting and chalked out strategy of adopting Women Protection Bill (WPB) from the Senate.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the government would take step in line with law if the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal resigns from the Assembly. He said that by-elections would be held on all the vacant seats.
Shaukat Aziz shrugged off snap elections saying that the current parliament would complete its tenure. He said that the Bill passed by the National Assembly would be adopted by the Senate. He called upon MMA to avoid politicking resignations and play positive and constructive role. “Government is not afraid of the MMA resignations”. He said adding that the government would not be black mailed by the religious alliance. The Bill he said was in line with the Quran and Sunnah.
The Prime Minister said the Women Protection Bill is one of the many steps taken by the government to safeguard the rights of women. He said women are an important part of the society and no country can progress without their active participation.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that no crisis would emerge following resignation of the MMA. “We are not concerned about such claims,” he added. He said the government was ready to hold talks with the MMA and invitation into this effect had been extended but the religious alliance had rejected talks offer. He said he would not sit in the parliament if the WPB proved to be against Quran and Sunnah.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that Pakistan wants to improve its relations with India in all the fields however, Kashmir dispute is the main obstacle in normalization of bilateral ties between the nuclear states. “Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues and improve its relations with India in all fields simultaneously. However, the core dispute of Kashmir is the main hurdle in bilateral cooperation”, Aziz said while talking to newsmen at Expo Center on Wednesday after visiting the Ideas 2006 defence exhibition.
Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, and others were also present on the occasion. The prime minister observed that unless there was bilateral cooperation between the two countries, there would be no headway on resolution of Kashmir dispute.
Talking about the forthcoming visit of Chinese President, Hu Jintao, Aziz said it would turn out to be a historical visit and would further strengthen ties between Pakistan and China, which had already been cooperating with each other in a number of projects.