May 8, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 7: A four-member delegation of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy will brief the ambassadors of European Union states on Legal Framework Order (LFO) and opposition’s point of view on Thursday.

ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan would lead the delegation comprising People’s Party Parliamentarians president Makhdoom Amin Fahim, PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and ARD deputy information secretary Munir Ahmed Khan.

Talking to Dawn on Wednesday, the ARD deputy information secretary said that the meeting would be held at the residence of Greek ambassador, who is also the chairman of the EU, at 11:15 am on Thursday.

Mr Khan said the ARD team would apprise the EU ambassadors of the implications of the LFO on the Constitution and parliamentary system.

He said that all the EU countries were democratic nations, therefore, the ambassadors would understand ARD’s point of view in a better way. “Actually, we want to get moral support of the EU countries for our struggle for the restoration of genuine democracy in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Fahim called on the ARD chief at the residence of Naveed Malik on Wednesday.

Later, talking to Dawn, the PPP president said that he had discussed the current political situation with reference to the ongoing talks between the government and the opposition on the LFO with the ARD chief.

Mr Fahim said that they had also discussed agenda for the forthcoming ARD meeting on Friday.

On reports that the opposition have made a plan to linger on the LFO crisis till the presentation of federal budget in the National Assembly, he said that the opposition wanted an early end to it.

He said that the opposition’s stand was based on principles that the LFO should be brought before the parliament for debate.

About the ongoing peace process between Pakistan and India, he said that the PPP wanted good relations with the neighbouring country, but there should be no compromise on the national issues.

He reiterated that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should also be consulted before initiating dialogue with India.

He claimed that it was during the PPP government that the Kashmir issue gained international importance.

Mr Fahim said that Benazir Bhutto, through her excellent foreign policy, had succeeded in bringing the issue to the OIC forum for the first time.