ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf, who recently said he would be a "father figure" to Pakistan's new prime minister, on Monday voiced his commitment for "political reconciliation" and willingness to work with "everyone".
Musharraf's remarks came amid the possibility of opposition PPP and PML-N sweeping Monday's parliamentary polls.
After casting his vote along with wife Sehba and mother Zarin at a polling station in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near here, Musharraf said "we would like to work with everyone."
Recent opinion polls predicted that opposition PPP and PML-N would sweep the elections with the PML-Q or the King's party which backs Musharraf trailing way behind.
Musharraf said the winner of Monday's polls will form the government. "I remain committed to the policy of political reconciliation in the larger interest of the country."
The President had on the eve of the elections told Jemima Khan in an interview published in the British daily 'The Independent' "My role as a president is simply the checks and balances, the seatbelts... a sort of father figure to the prime minister, but I won't have to see him for weeks." The interview conducted by the ex-wife of Pakistani politician Imran Khan in Rawalpindi was described as an 'extraordinary encounter'.
During an interaction with a team from the Centre for Media and Democracy that is in the country to monitor the polls, Musharraf had also said political parties would have to decide on a prime ministerial candidate through mutual consultations in the event of a fractured verdict and insisted that he would play no role in this process.
The President said he would not interfere in the process to select a prime minister if none of the parties secured a majority in the next Parliament.
