June 6, 2003	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 5: The newly-formed parliamentary group of ARD in the National Assembly will meet here on Saturday to chalk out strategy for the budget session.

This was stated by PML-N’s acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi while talking to Dawn after his meeting with ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan here on Thursday.

Asked what would be the ARD’s strategy if the MMA and the government reached a consensus, Nawabzada Nasrullah ruled out such a possibility and said the MMA leaders had made a commitment to the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and they would not compromise on principles.

Asked whether the opposition had decided to create rumpus in the National Assembly during the budget session to be held on Saturday, the veteran politician said the strategy would be chalked out by the opposition leaders at their meetings on Friday and Saturday. However, he said, what kind of behaviour the government was expecting from the opposition after incidents in the Punjab Assembly and the NWFP. Such incidents had fuelled the already complex situation, he said.

Talking about MMA leaders’ meeting with president’s representatives, Nawabzada Nasrullah said if Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain held talks with them it was OK, for he was head of a political party. But in what capacity generals, colonels and bureaucrats were holding talks with politicians? he asked.

The ARD chief condemned the Punjab Assembly incident and detention of opposition workers and activists.

He said why Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had not called the meeting of the party heads after receiving recommendations from the National Assembly speaker on the Legal Framework Order.

Reiterating his stance on General Musharraf’s retaining the post of presidency, he said parliament was incomplete without an elected president.

Mr Hashmi said the PML-N and the PPP would hold separate parliamentary party meetings on Friday to discuss the strategy for the budget session.

However, the PML-N leader said, he and Nawabzada Nasrullah had agreed that opposition should adopt a joint strategy for the budget session.

He further said a joint meeting of the parliamentary party groups of the ARD and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal would also be held before the assembly session.