October 27, 2002	Sunday	Sha’aban 20,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: Parliamentary party leader of the PML-Q Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will resume talks with the MMA negotiating team led by Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani on Monday to finalize details of a package for forming a coalition government.

“This meeting could be decisive as the MMA has already indicated that it will make up its mind by Monday whether to join the coalition government or to sit in the opposition,” a source in the PML-Q said.

According to the source, talks between the two parties after the Friday’s meeting were deadlocked over the issue of prime ministerial candidate.

“Some MMA leaders fear that the PML-Q, after finalizing details of a deal with the alliance, may announce the name of a female candidate (possibly Zubaida Jalal) for the premiership which would not be acceptable to the MMA,” an insider told this correspondent.

Conflicting reports about Zubaida Jalal’s candidacy are still doing rounds although the PML-Q leaders, including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, have categorically denied such a probability. The PML-Q leadership is also divided on the question of naming its candidate for the prime minister.