May 8, 2002	Wednesday	Safar 24, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, May 7: Heads of the component parties of the newly-formed National Alliance are holding their first formal meeting here on Wednesday to chalk out a strategy for expanding the alliance.

The alliance leaders held informal meetings and dined on Tuesday night at the residence of alliance chief Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, where a threadbare discussion was held on ways and means to expand the membership of the alliance, insiders told Dawn.

Before launching the alliance, the leaders of the six parties were in constant touch with the Pakistan People’s Party (SB) of Ghinwa Bhutto, the PPP (Sherpao), the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf of Imran Khan and the Qaumi Jamhoori Party of Omar Asghar Khan.

However, like Imran Khan others also adopted a cautious approach, and refused to join the alliance.

An NA insider claimed that the announcement of the National Alliance had been made in a haste at the “behest of the government.”

Mustafa Jatoi, who had been in London, was asked, on a short notice, to return home to lead the newly-formed alliance.

Maulana Tahir-ul-Qadri is also claimed to have been aspiring to become the NA secretary-general but had to backtrack.