ISLAMABAD, May 21: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Wednesday asked Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) leadership to give president “a reasonable time frame” for relinquishing the office of COAS.

In continuation of what appeared to be his efforts, the PML-Q leader met MMA Vice-president and parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Qazi Hussain Ahmed to persuade him to show some flexibility in his stand on the LFO and uniformed president, to avert a deadlock.

Mr Liaquat Baloch, deputy secretary-general of the MMA, who was also present at the meeting, later told this reporter that Mr Shujaat had no answer when asked what he meant by “a reasonable time frame”.

Earlier, the PML-Q leader had held a meeting with MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Tuesday, in which PPP-Parliamentarians leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim was also present.

Mr Shujaat said he had not brought any message from anyone but had come to impress upon Qazi Sahib that the process of negotiations should not be allowed to be spoiled, otherwise it would cause irreparable damage to the country.

He said that both the sides wished that there should be no deadlock in talks which were at a decisive stage.

When asked about the issue of separation of the offices of president and COAS, the PML leader said recommendations prepared by the joint committee would be put before the party heads meeting to be convened by the prime minister after he had received the committee’s report tentatively on May 23.

The government has launched efforts to avoid a confrontation with the combined opposition after the failure of the 11-member joint government-opposition committee in reaching a consensus in over two weeks of deliberations.

Speaking to newsmen, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said: “We have not closed doors on talks and are ready to resolve the contentious issues but much depend on sincerity of the government in finding solutions.”

He agreed to the suggestion of Mr Shujaat that the government-opposition talks had reached a decisive stage and they should not be allowed to be deadlocked. He said we believed that the 1973 Constitution should not be made controversial and the supremacy of parliament should be restored.

Qazi said the religio-political alliance would soon hold its supreme council meeting to discuss the situation arising out of the failure of committee-level talks and the proposals made by PML leader in today’s meeting.

Mr Baloch said the combined opposition would stick to its programme of protest if talks did not succeed before next session of the lower house.

Answering a question about President Musharraf’s position on uniform, he said: “He is getting isolated after a consensus between the government and opposition parties on a need to separate the two high offices.”

The PML-Q leader came to meet Qazi despite being ill.