Islamabad: Declaring that the ruling alliance will not become hostage to President Pervez Musharraf's wishes, Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani has, nevertheless, said it would have to forge a working relationship with the former military ruler despite "reservations".

Gilani also said his government is committed to reinstating judges sacked by Musharraf during last year's emergency and the matter is being held up only due to a disagreement on the modalities for implementing it.

The new government had "inherited a President and we will have to have a working relationship with him despite our reservations," he told journalists accompanying him on a visit to Egypt to attend the World Economic Forum for Middle East.

Gilani said the government is adhering to the Charter of Democracy signed by the PML-N and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in 2006 and "we are committed to it".

He added: "As a first step, we have released the detained judges and talks are under way. Every wrong can be righted. We all want the judges restored. There is a disagreement only on the modality of implementation."

When it was pointed out to him that the President's camp is reportedly working on a formula whereby all the deposed judges except former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry are reinstated, Gilani said it "was not necessary that all of the President's desires be fulfilled".

"He (Musharraf) wanted a political system minus (slain former premier) Benazir Bhutto and (PML-N chief) Nawaz Sharif, but their parties are very much a part of the system now," Gilani was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

Gilani also said he had an "excellent relationship" with Sharif and expressed the hope that the former Premier would continue to support the ruling coalition despite pulling out the PML-N ministers from the federal Cabinet.

Gilani said he had not doubts that the PML-N will rejoin the Cabinet soon after the legislation for reinstating the deposed judges is finalised. The judges would be reinstated and both the major coalition partners would complete their tenure, he asserted.

The PML-N pulled out of the Cabinet after the second deadline for reinstating the deposed judges expired on May 12. Sharif has said his party will now support the government only on the basis of issues.

Asked about the PML-N's strong opposition to the appointment of industrialist Salman Taseer as the Governor of Punjab, Gilani said he had no idea that the move would create such bitterness. The names of three candidates were forwarded to the President, who eventually approved Taseer's appointment, he said.

The PML-N has asked the government to review the appointment of Taseer, a PPP stalwart who is also a supporter of Musharraf, and said more such decisions could put the coalition in danger.

Gilani, who left for Egypt yesterday to attend the World Economic Forum meet in the resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh, said he was looking forward to meeting US President George W Bush there.

"High on the agenda will be economic cooperation, war on terror, global food security situation and bilateral ties focusing on areas of science and technology and social sector."

Referring to the war on terror, he said, "There is a misperception that we are fighting a US war. We are a sovereign country and we will not compromise our dignity."

The law and order situation depends on political stability, which is also key to economic stability. "We are fighting this war in our own interest. We have changed our strategy as the previous one has not delivered," he said.

Source : PTI