Islamabad, Oct 21 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that the government would consult all political parties of the country to work out a code of conduct for the forthcoming general elections.

“We are starting contacts with all political parties to devise a code of conduct for electoral process along with the Election Commission to ensure smooth running of political activity,” Aziz told reporters.

The Dawn quoted Aziz as saying that the government was trying to create an environment of political reconciliation in the country in order to allow every party to express its views freely.

“May it be an APC (all-party conference) or individual contacts, the basic objective is to let political activity continue without any hindrance,” he said.

Responding to a query about Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s proposal to ban political rallies during elections in the wake of the Karachi blasts, he suggested adopting alternative ways like meetings or using the media due to security risk.

“I don’t see any hindrance in the political process. But perhaps, we have to change tactics and take necessary measures as well,” Aziz added.

He went on to say that the Inspectors General (IGs) of the four provinces—Balochistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Punjab and Sindh-- held a meeting on Saturday to prepare a security profile for the general elections.

“In this regard, a decision will be taken keeping in mind that it should not affect the interest of any political party,” he said, adding that the government was striving to ensure a smooth electoral process.

“We owe it to our people to continue the march towards democracy through elections,” Aziz said. (ANI)