November 14, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 8, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: PML-Q parliamentary leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Wednesday that the government had shown maximum flexibility on the Legal Framework Order and related issues, and hoped that the remaining matters would be resolved in negotiations on Thursday.

Chaudhry Shujaat, who has been acting as coordinator for four parliamentary parties, was talking to newsmen after holding talks with the government high-ups on the issues on which the MMA had expressed its reservations.

He said the GNA and MMA would form a coalition government after reaching an agreement on all contentious issues. “I am confident we will be successful in forming a government with the MMA and also in bringing the MQM to our fold after reaching a consensus at Thursday’s meeting.”

Chaudhry Shujaat said the attitude of the government side was most positive and flexible on all issues.

Answering a question, the PML-Q leader said he had discussed with the government functionaries validation of all actions which the president had taken after Oct 12, 1999 under Article 270A, and hoped that they would hammer out a consensus decision on this as well.

In reply to a question whether the GNA-MMA coalition would accept the so-called forward bloc from the PPP Parliamentarians, Chaudhry Shujaat said everyone who desired to strengthen democracy and a democratic government would be welcomed.

He said that talks on Article 58(2)B were in an advance stage and added that they would also find out some solution to the issues relating to the president’s discretionary powers.

“I have always said that we will form a strong and stable government and now I can say with authority that our government will be of national consensus and enjoy a comfortable majority,” the PML-Q leader said.

Asked if his party had made up its mind to award Senate tickets to the sitting ministers for inducting them into the new cabinet, he said: “We have neither received any formal request nor discussed this issue with them (applicants) so far”.

Chaudhry Amir Hussain, a former law minister who accompanied Chaudhry Shujaat in his parleys with the government officials, said that the GNA and MMA had agreed on 20-21 clauses out of the LFO’s total 29 clauses.

He said the president’s discretionary powers for appointing the services chiefs, governors, etc., and the constitution of the National Security Council were also being discussed.

He said they were also talking on the president’s election through referendum and his retaining the office of army chief, and hoped that something positive would come out in talks on Thursday.

APP ADDS: Chaudhry Shujaat said that the GNA and MMA had agreed on 25 clauses of the LFO and added that the remaining four would be finalized in a couple of days.