LAHORE, Jan 10: Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan resumed presidency of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy on Thursday after a 90-minute meeting at his residence with a two-man Pakistan People’s Party delegation in the presence of a couple of Pakistan Muslim League leaders and the head of another constituent party.

PPP’s senior vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Faheem and Punjab president Qasim Zia explained the party’s point of view on staying away from the Dec 27 All Parties Conference, a decision the Nawabzada had taken as an expression of lack of confidence in him.

Apparently, PPP’s reservations about the religious parties persist. “We remain a component of the ARD and will continue to work for it. Our commitment is to the ARD,” the PPP senior vice-chairman told a reporter who asked him whether the party had changed its mind regarding the APC parties.

PML vice-president Tehmina Daultana, provincial president Sirdar Zulfikar Khosa and Pakistan Solidarity Front chairman Naveed Malik also took part in the meeting. The ARD secretary-general, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, too, was expected to participate in the meeting. He, however, had to stop half way and rush back to Peshawar from Islamabad to attend to his hospitalized mother.

“We requested the Nawabzada to resume the presidency of the alliance as he alone could run the Alliance. The Nawabzada has accepted our request for which we are very grateful to him,” Makhdoom Amin Faheem announced after the meeting. He said before calling on the Nawabzada, he had held talks with other parties in the ARD.

Asked whether the PPP would accept representation in the APC steering committee, which the Nawabzada, as its convener, is expected to set up in the near future, the Makhdoom said the matter would be discussed at the ARD meeting.

If the decision was to be taken by the ARD, what was the justification for the PPP’s abstention from the APC and precipitating the crisis which made the Nawabzada resign, a reporter asked. “We don’t want the crisis to worsen. We want to work hand in hand (with other parties in the ARD),” replied the PPP leader.

Mr Zia said the question of accepting nomination to the APC steering committee would be decided by the party’s Central Executive Committee.

Mr Khosa added that the APC was not a permanent body.

A meeting of the ARD will be held soon, said the Nawabzada with a demure smile on his face. Asked about ARD’s relationship with the APC, the Nawabzada said the two had identical programmes and neither would have any objection to the other taking some measures for the achievement of the common goals. He recalled that he had said it time and again that nobody could monopolize the struggle for democracy and anybody willing to make a contribution was welcome. He added, however, that at this time he was unable to predict the nature of a link between the APC and the ARD.