November 30, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 24, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Nov 29: Repeating the MMA’s stand against the Legal Framework Order and the uniformed president, JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Friday that the MMA would support the Jamali-led government only if its demands were met.

The JUI chief, however, adopted a line that should bring relief for Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali whose fragile majority was shaken when the MQM withdrew its support for the government on Wednesday.

“We would not be part of any move meant to dislodge the Jamali government,” said Maulana Fazl while answering journalists’ questions on the NWFP Assembly premises where he had come to witness the proceedings of the assembly during which MMA’s Akram Khan Durrani was elected Leader of the House.

He said the MMA leadership was again engaged with the PML-Q, and negotiations were going on to reach a consensus.

The PML-Q has resumed talks with the MMA after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which has 17 members in the National Assembly, withdrew its support to the government.

However, the JUI chief maintained that the MMA’s stand remained unchanged against the LFO, the presidential referendum, Article 58(2)(b), the National Security Council, the local government system, the president’s discretionary powers and Gen Pervez Musharraf’s decision to simultaneously retain the offices of Chief of Army Staff and president.

“The MMA has started the negotiations [with the PML-Q] from the point where the process had broken down earlier,” he said.

Prime Jamali is scheduled to visit Peshawar on Saturday to felicitate Mr Durrani. The PM’s visit is being described by the PML-Q and the MMA circles as a goodwill gesture towards the MMA.

Inside sources said that negotiations between Maulana Fazl and Mr Jamali may also take place on Saturday.

Maulana Fazl said the MMA was ready to show some flexibility to save the federal government, but it would not compromise on its ideology and principles.

“We want to save the government, but it should also accept our demands,” said Maulana Fazl capitalizing on the strong position the MMA has again attained at the central political stage.

He did not agree with a questioner that negotiations between the MMA and the PML-Q had earlier remained inconclusive due to the former’s tough stand on getting the prime ministership.

Without explaining the ‘flexibility’ adopted by the MMA during its renewed talks with the PML-Q on certain contentious issues, the JUI chief said “we have been described as extremists but now after we have shown modernity on some of the issues it is up to them [PML-Q] to show flexibility in their approach”.

SEATS FOR WOMEN: Speaking against the number of seats reserved for women in the national and provincial assemblies, Maulana Fazl said the MMA would try to bring down the number [of the seats reserved for women] to a reasonable level so that it could ensure the establishment of an acceptable- to-all parliamentary system.

“We are not against the reserved seats for women, but the number of such seats should be reasonable,” said Maulana Fazl.

He said that no other country had seats reserved for women.

OPPOSITION LEADER: In reply to a question about differences in the MMA over the question of the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazl said “there is absolutely no dispute over the issue, be it me or Qazi Hussain Ahmed. It would be acceptable to both of us”.

He rejected reports of differences in the MMA leadership.