September 21, 2003	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s top leaders have started consultation amongst themselves as well as with their legal advisers on the draft constitutional package handed over to the alliance by PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Friday, sources said.

Background interviews with some of the MMA leaders who did not want to be named revealed that Chaudhry Shujaat, while delivering the copy of draft package, had obtained a promise from the MMA leaders that the religious alliance would not give a hasty reaction to the package.

He had assured the MMA at the same time that the entire process of talks would conclude to the entire satisfaction of the alliance.

The MMA leadership however appeared firm on the demand that the issue of president-in-uniform should be made a part of the constitutional package, and that it would not accept any verbal commitment, the alliance sources said.

MMA president Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani appeared optimistic about a breakthrough but expressed his dismay over the government’s insistence that verbal assurance on the crucial matter of uniform should be accepted.

Talking to Dawn he said the government side in a previous meeting had offered that a meeting with Gen Musharraf could be arranged to get his personal commitment on relinquishing of the army post before December 2004, “which we declined.”

He said: “We had clearly told the government that the constitutional issues should be resolved constitutionally and everything should be put in black and white.”

When asked whether the official team led by Chaudhry Shujaat had delivered any special message or a threat of winding up the system to the MMA team in case it rejected the package, Maulana Noorani replied in the negative. “They can’t dare take such an extreme step,” he remarked.

Maulana Noorani and Liaqat Baloch, who had formally received the draft package, briefed the top leaders of the MMA Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Allama Sajid Naqvi and Maulana Samiul Haq during the last twenty-four hours.

Mr Baloch said he had discussed it with Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi over telephone and Maulana Noorani had also talked to them.

However, the leadership unanimously decided not to give public reaction to the draft before their scheduled meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, the sources said.

Maulana Noorani said the leadership was engaged in studying the draft and comparing it with the one on which its team had agreed in the Lahore talks, and would give its final reaction at a news conference after the supreme council’s meeting on Tuesday (Sept 23).

When asked about the longer time lag between the date the MMA received the draft and the date fixed for the MMA meeting, he said it was done to ensure all the leaders could attend it.

Mr Baloch said that Chaudhry Shujaat had contacted him on Saturday and requested the alliance leadership to refrain from giving a hasty reaction on the draft package as, according to Chaudhry Shujaat, some positive developments were still expected.

Maulana Noorani said the people at large were making fun of the MMA for dragging the talks on and on for such a long time, and therefore the alliance had decided that the talks must be concluded one way or the other without further delay.