June 4, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 3: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has decided to resist the federal government’s contemplated action against the NWFP government, and vowed that it would not give in to the pressure tactics of the Centre, sources in the alliance said.

Talking to Dawn, MMA’s deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Husain Ahmed said action against the NWFP government was being planned because of the successful passage of the Shariat Bill by the provincial assembly.

He said the top leadership of the alliance was in contact with each other, as he had talked to Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani in Karachi and Maulana Fazlur Rahman in Peshawar and also sent a message to Qazi Hussain Ahmed in Lahore about the developments that had taken place so far.

The MMA is expected to convene its supreme council meeting in the next few days to discuss the pace of negotiations with the government on the Legal Framework Order and to draw a strategy over its row with the federal government, Hafiz Husain said.

When asked whether the latest developments taking place in Islamabad would hamper the process of dialogue on the LFO, the MMA leader said: “We would like the process to continue.”

He said the government should accelerate the process of dialogue in order to make the presentation of the federal budget on June 7 a smooth affair.

Asked whether the opposition would continue its protest in parliament if the LFO issue was not settled by then, the MMA leader said: “We will soon hold a meeting to finalize our strategy.”

Meanwhile, MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman dashed to Peshawar from his home town Dera Ismail Khan on Tuesday after reports that the federal government had decided to take action against the NWFP government and held consultations with Chief Minister Akram Durrani and other leaders of the JUI.

He was expected to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday night where he would contact the ruling party leadership.

Hafiz Husain said inquiry against the Nazims of Bannu and Kohistan was initiated by former minister Athar Minallah, which the present government had taken up for action and a motion was moved in the assembly.

He said Nazims in the Frontier province were as powerful as Nazims in other provinces and a resentment against the local government system was prevalent in all provinces.

He said the MMA had challenged the local government system introduced under the 6th schedule of the LFO, and would not accept it in its present shape.

In the meantime, a JUI MNA from Karak district Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz has declared that the people of the NWFP would protect the provincial government with their blood.

Speaking at a news conference at parliament house, he said every action against the province would evoke an even stronger reaction against the Centre.

He said action against the NWFP government was being contemplated because the provincial assembly had adopted the Shariat bill and a conspiracy was being hatched at the behest of foreign powers.

The Maulana strongly contradicted allegations that the NWFP government was working closely with the Taliban, saying while the Taliban had come into power as a result of a revolution, the MMA assumed power after winning general election.

He said conditions similar to those that led to the creation of Bangladesh should not be created. “We will make life difficult for those ruling at the Centre if our government in the Frontier province was disturbed or dislodged,” he warned.

The JUI MNA also accused the federal government of failing to fulfil its constitutional obligation in making payment under the head of net hydel profit to the province.