Pakistan's Prime Minister-elect Shaukat Aziz on Friday said he would continue the policy of dialogue with India to seek peaceful settlement of all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir

Addressing the national assembly soon after Speaker Amir Hussain declared him leader of the 342-member house, Aziz said, "We want to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute that reflects the aspirations of the Kashmiri people."

While thanking President Pervez Musharraf for backing him, Aziz, 55, said his government would also strive to maintain good relations with all neighbouring as well as Islamic countries and the major world powers.

Aziz, who would be sworn in on Saturday, said Pakistan was a peace-loving country and had no aggressive designs. But at the same, he said, his government would accord top most priority to national defence and take necessary steps to further strengthen it.

"We are fully aware that Pakistan's nuclear programme is central to our national defence and with this in view, this programme would not only continue but it would be further refined," Aziz, the former Citibank executive who till now served as finance minister since 1999, said.

Aziz said he would try his best to come up to the expectations of the masses and would seek guidance from the Quran in running the country.

Aziz said Musharraf took the country out of the dark period of history and put it on the road to progress and prosperity. He said the government would continue to benefit from the president's wisdom and experience.

Extending a hand of friendship to the opposition parties, which boycotted the election, he said it was the joint responsibility of the treasury and the opposition to promote the democratic process and concentrate on resolution of the problems facing their electorate. He said the government would welcome constructive criticism.