ISLAMABAD, May 19: A proposal has been launched from the highest quarters to shortlist politicians for participation in the next meeting to discuss the Legal Framework Order (LFO) in the light of the government-opposition committee’s report, informed sources told Dawn on Monday.

Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali is likely to convene a summit of leaders of the government and opposition parties on or before May 25, after he receives a draft report from Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain by May 23.

The proposal, which is at a preliminary stage, if implemented will exclude all those party heads who have less than 10 members in the National Assembly.

In the earlier meeting last month, all the government and opposition party heads, including component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) as well as smaller and splinter groups even with one or more MNAs’ support, were invited.

But if this new proposal is implemented, a total of seven parties/alliances and their heads will qualify for joining discussion on the LFO. They include, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of PML-Q, Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani of MMA, Makhdoom Amin Fahim of People’s Party Parliamentarians, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of PML-N, Rao Sikandar Iqbal of PPP-Patriots, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari of National Alliance and Syed Safwanullah of MQM.

According to the proposal, the seven heads of the government opposition parties will form a new negotiation team and start a review of the joint committee’s report to conclude deliberations unless a draft constitutional package is finalized.

The National Assembly session will immediately be summoned as soon as the constitutional package is ready.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said that both the government and opposition parties have reached a consensus in principle that the offices of president and COAS cannot remain together. But, he said, the decision to separate them has to be taken by President Gen Pervez Musharraf himself.

Speaking to newsmen after meeting with the National Assembly speaker at the parliament house on Monday, the ruling PML leader said the president himself had echoed his desire in the meeting with editors to relinquish the COAS office at a time of his own choice.

Replying to a query about meeting with the president on the LFO issue, he said there was no harm in consulting with him since he was part of parliament.