September 10, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 12, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 9: Cracks may have begun to appear in the ranks of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) with a group of MNAs expressing their dissatisfaction over the opposition’s protest strategy of boycotting assembly proceedings.

Sources said there is a group of about 20 MNAs in the ARD that either wants participation in assembly proceedings or a change in the protest strategy.

PPP MNA Syed Naveed Qamar, who is also said to be a member of this group in the ARD, is currently on an official visit to Europe and the US with National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain. PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim is not attending the assembly though he is in the capital, indicating perhaps his disagreement with the protest strategy.

Talking to Dawn at Parliament House after the opposition’s boycott here on Tuesday, People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) MNA Naveed Gabol said: “To win a battle, you need to change your strategy daily, otherwise the enemy will easily preempt your moves.”

The PPP legislator said he had raised the issue several times in the meeting of the ARD parliamentary group, but the leadership was not listening to him.

He was also angry over inclusion of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) again in the fold of the joint opposition. He said once again the ARD was committing the mistake of following dictation by the MMA that, according to him, was using its ARD connections to its own advantage in its negotiations with the government.

Party MNAs, he said, instead of raising slogans and boycotting the session, should stay in the House and take part in the proceedings to defend their leader who was being continuously slandered by the treasury benches.

The MNA confirmed that there was a group in the ARD which was in favour of changing the protest strategy. He said the opposition had failed to highlight the LFO issue properly.

He was of the view that the PPP and the PML-N, if invited, should take part in the meeting of parliamentary heads.

A woman MNA of the PPP said she was not in favour of routine desk thumping and slogan raising in the House. The people at large who had supported the opposition’s protest against the LFO and the uniform now seemed fed up with the routine protests, she opined.