ISLAMABAD, Aug 1: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) will continue its protest inside the National Assembly and not allow the government to run the lower house according to its own agenda.

This was stated by the acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Makhdoom Javed Hashmi while talking to newsmen after a joint meeting of the PML-N’s Central Working Committee (CWC) and parliamentary group here on Friday.

Mr Hashmi, who has recently been nominated by the ARD as the leader of its parliamentary group, said all component parties of the ARD had decided to continue their protest against the controversial Legal Framework Order (LFO) and President Musharraf’s rule in the forthcoming National Assembly session, which is likely to be convened on Monday.

He claimed that the opposition was still very strong and despite the MMA’s seeming betrayal it was in a position to scuttle the government’s efforts to conduct smooth legislative business in the NA whenever it would meet.

In response to a question about the differences with the MMA, he said there was a difference of opinion even within the MMA, which was an alliance of six different parties. He said Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Qazi Hussain Ahmed had different views on certain issues like the matter of sending troops to Iraq.

He said the MMA’s stand on the President’s uniform issue was not new and that the two major opposition alliances were together on a minimum agenda that the LFO could not become a part of the constitution without the approval of parliament.

When asked what would be the reaction of the ARD if the LFO became a part of the constitution with the approval of a two-thirds majority which the government might acquire after a patch- up with the MMA, he said the basic character of the constitution could not be changed by the National Assembly or Senate. For that purpose, he said, there should be a constituent assembly. This assembly had no right to decide whether there should be a presidential rule in the country or a parliamentary democracy.

On a statement of Hafiz Hussain Ahmed that the ARD could not form a parliamentary group in the National Assembly as its component parties had not contested election on one symbol, he said this could be his personal views. He said every party had the right to form a group in the assembly, even if it had contested polls on different symbol.

Mr Hashmi denied the reports that the government was secretly holding negotiations with PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim.