November 20, 2002	Wednesday	Ramazan 14, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: The parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, said here on Tuesday the MMA would sit on opposition benches.

He was talking to mediamen on the occasion of speaker and deputy speaker elections here at Parliament House.

“Our demands have not been fulfilled so there is no point to further continue the negotiations regarding the formation of government with other political parties,” he added.

He said the MMA had differences with PML-Q on Legal Framework Order, powers of president and retaining of both the posts — president and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS); which could not be resolved.

Earlier, talking to the journalists, MMA leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad said his party still had the same stance that if the president desired to retain his post, he should be elected by the parliament.

Similarly, he said, the constitutional amendments introduced by the present government should also be approved by the parliament by two-thirds majority.

When asked about the decision of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan regrading support in favour of Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the slot of prime minister, he said, the other parties in the ARD should respect the decision taken by its leader two weeks ago.

The MMA is still firm on its stance and ready to accept the ARD decision, he added.—APP