November 23, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 17, 1423

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QUETTA, Nov 22: MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman alleged on Friday that the government had changed the date for the inaugural session of the Balochistan Assembly to buy time so that it could form a provincial government of its choice through horse trading.

He was talking to newsmen at Aimal Kasi’s residence where he had gone to condole Kasi’s death with the bereaved family.

Maulana Fazl, who is chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, claimed that the military government was not sincere in transfer of power and added that it was interfering with the government formation process in Sindh and Balochistan.

He elaborated that the military rulers wanted such governments in these provinces which would fully support Gen Musharraf’s policies.

In reply to a question, the MMA leader said that talks with the PML-Q and the PPP remained inconclusive as the PML-Q was getting directives from the military rulers and the PPP received advice from the United Stares. The MMA, he said, was the only alliance which was taking its decisions independently.

Answering a question, the MMA leader did not rule out the formation of a coalition government in Balochistan with nationalist parties.

At the national level, he said, the MMA would play a positive role in the House and would not attempt to destabilize the government of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

The MMA, he emphasized, wanted democracy to flourish.