November 26, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 20, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Nov 25: A meeting of the NWFP opposition parties held on Monday remained inconclusive over the question of fielding joint candidates against the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s nominees for the posts of chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker.

Sources said that the meeting attended by senior leaders of the PPP, ANP, PML-Q and PPP-S ended late at night on Monday without succeeding to hammer a deal to field joint candidates for the three posts.

Elections for the offices of speaker and deputy speaker would be held on Wednesday, whereas special session of the provincial assembly to elect the leader of the House had been convened on Friday through a presidential order issued under a notification of the NWFP Assembly.

“Final decision to the effect of fielding joint candidates would be made on Tuesday in an other meeting at 11:00 am, “ said the PPP parliamentary party leader in the NWFP Assembly, Abdul Akbar Khan, when contacted shortly after the meeting.

The Tuesday’s meeting would decide on the issue before 1:30 pm - the deadline for filing nomination papers for the elections of speaker and deputy speaker, maintained Mr Khan.

Apart from him, others who attended the meeting, held at the residence of PML-Q provincial president Salim Saifullah in the provincial capital, were ANP’s Bashir Bilour and Fareed Toofan, PML-Q’s Salim Saifullah and Mushtaq Ghani. MPA Murid Kazim and Nowshera District Nazim Pervez Khattak represented the PPP-S. PML-N’s Anwar Kamal Khan, who attended earlier rounds of opposition parties parlays abstained from the Monday’s meeting.

The party is against the idea of either contesting elections for the three posts or forming a joint opposition in the NWFP Assembly against the MMA.

According to the sources, the PPP-S and the PML-Q were in favour of fielding joint candidates, whereas the PPP, in its efforts to win over the MMA support to form government in Sindh, was reluctant.

Some sources said that the Monday’s meeting remained inconclusive only because the PPP did not show flexibility to the idea put forth by the PPP-S and PML-Q.

“We have sent an e-mail message to PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto for her guidance on the issue following which the party’s stand would be conveyed to the leaders of other opposition parties,” said Mr Abdul Akbar Khan.