November 17, 2002	Sunday	Ramazan 11, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: The Grand National Alliance and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal were engaged in talks with the government side since last night will be holding another round of talks among themselves on Sunday to decide the fate of their so-called agreement on constitutional issues as well as formation of government, sources told Dawn.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed deputy secretary-general of the MMA told this reporter that the issues of LFO and status of the president were under discussion with the government as the political leadership was ready to give the army a safe passage.

The sources claimed that the elections for speaker and deputy speaker were delayed by one day to Tuesday on request of the two alliances leaders to give themselves additional time for the talks to reach at a conclusion.

PML-Q parliamentary leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain while confirming that a decisive round of talks with the MMA was due on Sunday told newsmen in the National Assembly lobby on Saturday that “we have to continue talks to resolve issues”.

He said it would be thankless to deny that President Musharraf has fulfilled his promise of returning to democracy in three years otherwise no one could force the army even to transfer power in 10 years.

He claimed that had the president not taken fresh oath under the Constitution the Assembly would also not have been able to take oath.

Replying to a question he said: “We have not decided about our candidates for the speaker and deputy speaker because we are engaged in talks with other parties”.

The MMA in its parliamentary meeting in the Assembly chamber on Saturday floated another issue making controversial article 58(2)(b) acceptable by empowering the president to suspend a government and prime minister and not to dissolve the Assembly.

According to Hafiz Hussain Ahmed he has proposed that in case the sacked prime minister is able to take fresh vote of confidence he may be considered as reinstated, sources said.

The alliance’s parliamentary party meeting which was presided over by Qazi Hussain Ahmed also proposed that if the Musharraf government was bent upon forming NSC then it may be made a body without inserting it as part of the Constitution.

Insiders told Dawn that the government side was trying to woo the MMA for making alliance with the GNA in order to form a two third majority in the House to get the controversial LFO and other acts of the military regime approved/indemnified.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman the secretary-general and the MMA candidate for prime minister told newsmen on Saturday that talks with government team were in progress and whenever a tangible decision was taken it will be made public.

He denied the impression that the MMA and the GNA had suspended dialogue on contentious issues and subsequently formation of a coalition government.

He also held a meeting with ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan in the evening and discussed with him the situation with regard to the religio alliance’s negotiations with the GNA.

It may be recalled the two sides had twice postponed their meetings on Thursday and Friday due to MMA leadership’s engagements in Karachi and the PML-Q parliamentary leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s failure in getting any positive reply on the contentious issues.

To keep the press away the two sides started talks at a secret place at late Friday night and continued the same late in Saturday night to give last shape to the formula of power-sharing.