Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday said he would respect the power of the nation's new prime minister and hoped that the next government would work in a harmonious manner with all the stakeholders.
Talking to a delegation of US senators, who are in the country as poll observers, Musharraf said, "The post-election scenario had unfolded new political dynamics which hopefully would move in a positive direction".
The President, who met the Senators hours after the opposition Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League took the lead in the election results, hoped the new government "would work in a harmonious manner with all the stakeholders".
He said that all the parties must focus on the future and cooperate in the best interests of the country, said a statement from the Foreign Office.
Musharraf told Senators Joseph Biden, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel that his unswerving commitment to democracy had been "vindicated by the free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections held in the country".
Later, at a news conference, Kerry quoted Musharraf as saying that he would respect the power of the new prime minister. The senators said Musharraf now had a great opportunity to strengthen the democratic process and take Pakistan forward.
They noted that a democratic, economically stable and strong Pakistan was important for regional peace and stability. Referring to Pakistan's fight against terrorism, the senators said it was important for the country and the world.
They said that Pakistan-US relations should not be "transactional and limited to cooperation on counter-terrorism but these must be broad-based and diverse to serve the best interests of both the countries".
