May 21, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 18

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ISLAMABAD, May 20: The government on Tuesday launched fresh efforts to persuade opposition, especially Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, to show flexibility on contentious issues of the Legal Framework Order.

PML-Q president and parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain met MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman and discussed the situation arising out of apparent failure of the government-opposition committee in reaching consensus over those issues. PPP Parliamentarians president and parliamentary leader in NA Makhdoom Amin Fahim joined them at the hour-long meeting.

Maulana Fazl and Chaudhry Shujaat agreed that the dialogue process should continue to steer the country out of the constitutional crisis.

The MMA leader asked the PML-Q chief to make sure that the proposed meeting between the heads of government-opposition parliamentary parties was not delayed beyond May 26.

Talking to this correspondent later, the maulana said the government side desired to postpone the proposed meeting until after the budget session of the lower house.

The maulana said he and Mr Fahim had decided to hold a separate meeting of opposition leaders before the proposed party heads’ meeting to be convened by the prime minister to discuss the report of the government-opposition committee on LFO.

Asked about the possible formation of a separate group by the ARD components in parliament, which might affect MMA’s claim to the leader of the house, Maulana Fazl said: “Such matters do not hold much significance”.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the PML-Q chief’s office quoted Chaudhry Shujaat as having expressed the hope at the meeting that parties’ heads would succeed in creating a unanimous thinking on the basis of the government-opposition committee’s recommendations.