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ISLAMABAD / QUETTA, Aug 11: Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali told Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Monday that the government would invite the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for further talks on the LFO during the current week, and asked the religious parties alliance to show more flexibility on contentious issues.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister secretariat said the MMA leadership, comprising Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, met Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali at the PM House on Monday and discussed with him the recent MMA-government talks on the Legal Framework Order.
The statement said the prime minister told the MMA leaders that “all political parties would have to show flexibility for the success of negotiations on LFO.”
The prime minister expressed the hope that the talks with the MMA would be fruitful provided they were conducted with an open mind and good intention.
After the meeting, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad told Dawn the prime minister had “tried to kill two birds with one stone.” He said the MMA leaders had not gone to meet the prime minister but to attend the lunch given by the prime minister in the honour of the visiting Indian delegation.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmad said during the meeting the prime minister came to them and told them he was unable to read newspapers in the morning. The prime minister was informed that he should read the statements of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to get the real feel of the situation.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said the prime minister was told that he was under “friendly fire” from Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmad said the MMA had not walked out of talks. “Our doors are still open and we are waiting for the government’s response.”
Meanwhile, talking to newsmen at the PML-Q secretariat, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said the National Assembly would be convened before the end of current week as it could not be delayed any longer.
He said the proposed meeting between the MMA leaders and President Musharraf would only be held as a last resort when all the other efforts failed to yield results.
He blamed the MMA leadership for the deadlock in the talks, but expressed the hope that the Government-MMA negotiations would ultimately succeed.
Talking to newsmen in Quetta Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamalisaid that there is no deadlock in on ongoing negotiations between the government and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on the issue of Legal Framework Order.
“There is no deadlock in talks with the MMA,” Mr Jamali said while talking to newsmen at the Quetta airport after his arrival from Islamabad on a two-day visit to the provincial capital on Monday.
He said all such rumours were wrong and baseless. “There is a lot of progress in the talks on the LFO,” the prime minister said and added that he was satisfied with the pace of negotiations in this connection.
“I am satisfied with the talks to a great extent,” he remarked and said soon further talks would be held with the MMA. He expressed the hope that the LFO and other issues would be resolved through dialogue with the MMA. Replying to a question, the prime minister said that he was constantly holding negotiations with the opposition parties.
He said he was doing politics of Pakistan and believed in dialogue for resolving all issues. “My politics is open and for Pakistan,” he said and added that his doors were open for talks with other opposition parties. He said the leaders of other parties should come forward for resolving the issues setting aside party politics in the larger interest of the country.
Responding to another question about negotiations with Mian Nawaz Sharif and Ms Benazir Bhutto, Mr Jamali said they were no more in the politics of Pakistan as they were living abroad and recently Ms Bhutto had been convicted by an international court of law on charges of corruption.
“They have no more role in the Pakistan’s politics,” Mr Jamali said and added that some elements wanted to bring them forcibly in the politics of Pakistan.
However, he said, as far as the People’s Party is concerned, it existed with the name of PPP Parliamentarians and Mukhdoom Amin Fahim was its leader. He said he was ready to hold talks with him and other leaders.
KASHMIR: Earlier in Islamabad the Prime Minister said that the solution to Kashmir issue was imperative for a lasting peace in the region.
The prime minister was talking to a 53-member group of parliamentarians and journalists from India at a luncheon hosted by him.
Pakistan, he said, was desirous of peace in the region. “There is a need to solve the issues. However, it has to be seen how far one can go.”
Referring to the need of a greater understanding towards resolving all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, Mr Jamali said: “Solutions require sacrifices, and usually the one which is big and powerful has to give more.”
Kashmir, he said, was the core dispute between the two and requires an early solution.
Pakistan, the prime minister went on to say, wanted to settle all issues with India on the basis of equality.
Exchange of such delegations, Mr Jamali said, would enhance people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
Prime Minister Jamali welcomed the delegation to Pakistan and expressed his best wishes.
The luncheon was attended, among others, by the PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Peoples Party Parlia-mentarians’ President Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Senator Mohammed Ali Durrani.
