January 24, 2003	Friday	Ziqa’ad 20, 1423

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LARKANA, Jan 23: General secretary of the Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the alliance was studying the mood of the leaders prior to entering into parleys for the nomination of a joint opposition leader in the National Assembly.

While talking with newsmen in Naudero, the MMA leader, who is also the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), said that the MMA leadership, in consultation with the leaders of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), would decide about whether to choose the opposition leader in the National Assembly from the ARD or the MMA after studying all aspects.

The MMA leader had gone to Naudero to offer his condolences to Asif Zardari over the death of the widow of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shirin Amir Begum.

Describing the present government as being purely army- sponsored, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the government was without political and ideological foundations.

Expressing his skepticism about the political seriousness of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q)’s dialogues, he said that the alliance had adopted a wait-and-see policy regarding the emerging political situation.

When asked about the opposition’s strategy regarding the upcoming Senate elections, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that a decision about in this regard would be taken after bilateral talks between the ARD and MMA, adding that both the alliances would decide about a voting strategy, to support each other, to garner more seats.

Commenting about President Gen Musharraf’s visit to Russia, the MMA leader said that he (the President) should preferably take the nation into confidence prior to his visit.

He said that Russia, US and Israel had all signed major arms deals with India and in this context the visit of President Gen Musharraf was of significant importance.

When asked about the content of discussions held between him and Asif Zardari during the one-hour-long closed-door session in Naudero, he said: “What could be discussed with a prisoner?”

He said that he had come only to offer his condolences over the demise of Shirin Amir Begum Bhutto.

Villagers deplore: People from Shahmurad Abro village on Thursday staged a sit-in outside the office of the district police officer, disrupting the normal flow of traffic.

They were protesting against the police apathy towards the arrest of the SHO of Rasheed Wagan police station, Abdul Majeed Brohi, who had been nominated in the murder case of Qurban Jat.

The protesters, led by Ayaz Mirjat and Badal Mirjat, called for an early arrest of the SHO, who had been nominated in the FIR, along with four others.

Qurban Jat was seriously injured last Thursday when police had forcibly entered into some of the villagers’ houses in Shahmurad Abro village. He was admitted to the neuro-surgery unit of the Chandka Medical College Hospital, where he underwent extensive surgery.

His death on Monday sparked protests and the villagers had ended their protest after the DSP (investigation) had assured them regarding the arrest of the SHO within the next two days.

The protests on Thursday began after the police failed to arrest the SHO, effectively blocking the traffic outside the DPO’s office.

The ASP, City, Mohammed Alam Shinwari, later held talks with the protestors, urging them to end their protest, but only succeeded in changing their venue — from the DPO office to Jinnahbagh.

They also staged a sit-in outside the Jinnahbagh to register their resentment over the lukewarm attitude of police.