March 12, 2002	Tuesday	Zilhaj 27, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, March 11: Raja Zafarul Haq, chairman of PML(N), held a meeting with Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha, chief of PML(J), in the federal capital on Monday amid reports of possible electoral alliance among various League factions minus PML(QA) in the coming polls.

Replying to a question about reaction of exiled party leader Nawaz Sharif on the efforts of cooperation with other League factions and parties, Raja Zafar told Dawn that he (Nawaz) had not given precise instructions on this matter.

He claimed that Nawaz Sharif could give another surprise to the nation by making a sudden comeback as he had done while leaving the country.

The PML(N) leader said that Mr Chattha had invited him on lunch and during an hour-long discussion he had expressed his desire of cooperation among various League factions in the political struggle that was ahead for October elections.

Mr Chattha told his counterpart that he had been authorized by PML(Functional) leader Pir Pagara to talk on cooperation with PML(N) on his and other factions’ behalf.

Raja Zafar agreed with the notion of cooperation, including local adjustments in the coming elections, and said that both sides would return to meet again after consulting their respective parties after Muharram.

He said the talks of cooperation with other like-minded religious political parties like Jamaat-i-Islami and both factions of JUI had also been in advanced stage. The leadership of Jamaat-i-Islami, he said, had already held a couple of meetings and expressed the desire of cooperation between the two.

Commenting on JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed’s conditional cooperation offer to PPP and PML, Raja Zafarul Haq said that it hinted at a big change in the Jamaat policy. As far as the mention of past mistakes by both the parties was concerned, he said Qazi had done so to satisfy a section of his party which was against such a cooperation.

Replying to a question, the PML leader said that seeing the bitter experience of local bodies it was difficult to imagine that the government would not interfere or rig the general elections to its own suitability. He, however, expressed the confidence that the elections would be held according to programme.