Pakistan government will take along all political forces as it works to ensure independence of the judiciary and to strengthen national institutions like the parliament, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today.

Addressing a function organised by an NGO in his hometown Multan, Gilani pledged to work for the independence of the judiciary but made no mention of reinstating dozens of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last year.

Restoring the deposed judges is a key demand of former premier

Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party, which backs the coalition government led by Gilani's Pakistan People's Party.

"1 promise that the judiciary will be made independent so that the people can get cheap justice," Gilani told the gathering after disbursing financial aid to educated youths.

Gilani is on his first visit to Multan since he assumed the post of Prime Minister in March.

Noting that the February 18 general election had produced a split mandate' that would not have allowed any single party to form government, he said the PPP had realised that Pakistan was at the crossroads and "thought of forming a broad-based government".