These views were expressed by National Security Council Secretary-General Tariq Aziz Warraich while talking to The News at Bhalwal during his visit on Tuesday.

Tariq Aziz said that President Pervez Musharraf was monitoring the whole process of negotiation between the MMA and the government and wanted to resolve the LFO issue as early as possible.

He said that a consensus would be evolved on the issue and the accepted package would be presented before the parliament for approval with two-thirds majority. "General Musharraf wants to give more powers to the civil government while maintaining the due role of army in the national affairs," he added.

Tariq Aziz said that he was negotiating with the MMA on the LFO issue on the desire of the general.

Responding to a question, he said that his meeting with MMA senior leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad would prove fruitful because he had expressed his satisfaction on the package but no deadline was set in the meeting. He said that General Musharraf also wanted to restore the 1973 Constitution to its original shape while devolving powers to the civil government.

Earlier, addressing the Bhalwal Bar Association, he said that he had always advised General Pervez Musharraf in the best interest of the country and he acted upon his advice.

He said that he had advised the general not to hold the referendum but he realised the situation after a long time. He added that the whole Islamic world was looking towards General Musharraf and he also wrote letters to all the heads of Islamic states to compete the West with "economic bomb" while giving up suicide bombings.

He said that General Musharraf had a vision of strong Pakistan and wanted to alleviate poverty from the country. "He wants that Pakistan become an Asian economic tiger," he added.

Criticising the behaviour of the opposition, Tariq said that it was acting upon an agenda not to appreciate even good steps of the government. He said that salaries of judiciary and officers should be raised according to their duty.

He said that Bhalwal Tehsil would become a district on merit and he would try for it because it was his hometown. He also presented a cheque of Rs 700,000 to the bar president. He also inaugurated the newly constructed Bhalwal Bar Complex Aziz Hall.

Provincial Law and Local Government Minister Raja Basharat said that the Punjab government had allocated one million rupees for each district and Rs 300,000 for each tehsil bar without any discrimination.

Provincial Colonies Minister Mian Manazar Ali Ranjha, Irrigation Minister Aamir Sultan Cheema, district nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon and tehsil nazim Mian Naseer Ahmad also addressed the bar while MNAs Anwar Ali Cheema, Mian Mazhar Ahmad Qureshi, MPAs Mehr Rab Nawaz Lak, Zahid Iqbal Sindhu, Malik Shoaib Awan, Abdullah Yousaf Warraich, DIG Asif Nawaz Warraich and DCO Zulfiqar Toor were also present on the occasion.