ISLAMABAD, Sept 12: The Grand National Alliance (GNA), a loose grouping of six-party National Alliance and the PML (QA) on Thursday claimed to have reached a broad understanding on adjustment of almost all the national and provincial assembly seats barring those of the NWFP.

“The NA would be getting ‘peanuts’ in the bargain as compared to the pro-establishment PML (QA),” said a source privy to the arrangement, after the announcement.

While decision concerning all the Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan seats has been taken, the same in respect of the NWFP was to be taken on Thursday night, following which a complete list will be made public on Friday, PML (QA) organising secretary, Azeem Chaudhry, told Dawn.

In a late night meeting of the top brass of the two sides between Wednesday and Thursday, a consensus emerged that the NA will contest on all seats by fielding joint candidates. Where there were only two candidates from both the groups, that seat will be kept open.

An inside source said that both the groups leaders were made to sit together by the power brokers after reports that the previous talks between them had broken down.

Even the leaders from both the sides had openly said there was little chance of their reaching a consensus on seats adjustment formula.

Mohammad Ali Durrani, secretary general of Millat Party, told Dawn that the alliance would have been given only about 10 to 20 national assembly seats in the adjustment while both sides have decided to keep open some 30 to 35 seats where no third party candidate was seemingly in a winning position.

Azeem Chaudhary told Dawn that in their top level meeting, attended by Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, Mian Mohammad Azhar, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Mohammad Ali Durrani, Mian Afzal Hayat, Hussain Jehanian Gardezi and Qaswar Saeed Mirza, a consensus emerged about fielding joint candidates on all the seats.

It was recalled that seats adjustment between the NA and PML(QA) had already been reached. However, talks on the NWFP seats were pursued which were to be completed by Thursday night.

Another late night meeting was held at the residence of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, which was also attended by Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Mohammad Ali Durrani, Mian Afzal Hayat, Humayun Akhtar, Azeem Chaudhry, Yahya Munawar and Qaswar Seed Mirza.

A press release issued by the GNA said: “Both the sides agreed to fight together against anti-democratic forces, corrupt elements and for the establishment of federal parliamentary democratic system, promotion of democratic norms, elimination of poverty and lasting peace and law and order.

“Both also agreed to wage joint struggle to block the way of those who had established fascism in the name of democracy, turned the politics into their personal business.

“We must get our act together, for strengthening democratic institutions, economy, maintaining the country’s self-reliance shedding the burden of foreign loans, keeping the local government system on track and strong, striking a balance of power between prime minister and president, saving the country from returning to the unconstitutional rules and for the progress and development of the country.”