ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: Makhdoom Amin Fahim, chairman of People’s Parliamentarians Group (PPG), on Monday held a meeting with Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed at the latter’s office and the two reached a consensus on creating an atmosphere of national reconciliation.

Both declared that they had agreed to protect the 1973 constitution against amendments and to create an atmosphere of democratic reconciliation on the basis of fundamental rights and objective resolution.

They, however, denied that they had discussed seat adjustments in the coming polls in their hour-long meeting.

Talking to newsmen, Makhdoom said our decision to create a new entity was to ensure that we were not thrown out of the election process. “We have submitted our registration papers, etc., with the Election Commission today,” he added.

He said his group had applied for the symbol of “arrow” and it was now up to the EC to decide.

Replying to a question about his party’s future relations with the army, Makhdom said: “We want the army to have an honourable exit, resume its original work and let the politicians run the country’s business.”

Qazi Hussain Ahmed said: “We both have agreed that we must work together to protect the 1973 constitution against any amendments by an individual and to create a truly democratic atmosphere conducive to the conduct of free, fair and independent elections.”

He reiterated his party’s demand that the Election Commission be reconstituted and an undisputed personality brought in in place of Irshad Hasan Khan.

Makhdoom Fahim said nothing was final in politics and “we can take joint steps in a number of areas in the future.”

When a questioner made reference to mistakes committed by the party in the past, the PPG leader said: “Let us bury our past and take a new start, with a determination not to repeat the mistakes which had resulted in military takeover.”

To a question whether his party had pardoned the blood of its workers shed during the PPP government, Qazi said: “It was a matter to be decided by the court where it was pending.”

The JI chief said that “we have agreed in our discussion that taking out processions and staging sit-ins were democratic rights of the people and there must not be any use of force against such demonstrations in the future.”