November 11, 2003	Tuesday	Ramazan 15, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: The combined opposition on Monday night announced that it will continue its joint struggle against the military rule and requisition the National Assembly and Senate sessions soon.

The leaders of the ARD, the MMA and other small opposition parties announced this while talking to a group of reporters after a two-hour meeting held at the residence of PML-N MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq.

Those who attended the meeting were ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, MMA parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar, Tehmina Daultana, Raja Zafarul Haq, Maimona Hashmi, Abdul Rauf Mengal, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Akbar S. Babar.

MMA leader Liaquat Baloch said a campaign for obtaining signatures of the members would be started from Tuesday for requisitioning the next sessions of parliament. He, however, did not disclose the date when the sessions of both the houses would be requisitioned.

Sources told Dawn that the opposition was planning to submit a requisition two or three days before Eidul Fitr. In this way, the government will have to call the NA and Senate sessions soon after Eid. The NA session is likely to be prorogued on Tuesday after remaining in session for about three months.

Deputy parliamentary leader of the PML-N in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the combined opposition had discussed the schedule and timetable for its next meetings and the protest rallies. The schedule, he said, would be announced after finalization by all the parties in their respective meetings. He said the ARD would meet in Lahore on Nov 15 and the MMA would be meeting in Karachi on Nov 16 to finalize the schedule and the protest plan.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said it had been decided that the ongoing protest against the LFO would be intensified inside and outside parliament. He said various modes of protest came under discussion during the meeting, but a final decision would be taken before the start of the sessions.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed said it had been decided that the opposition would continue its joint struggle against the military dictatorship till complete ouster of the army from political arena. He said the MMA had closed the doors of dialogue on the government and there was no option left with the government but to implement the already agreed points.

Chief of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mehmood Khan Achakzai said a protest campaign would also be launched against the political party, whether the PPP or the MMA, which would enter into an agreement with the army rulers.

He condemned the government for arresting Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on a false case and demanded his immediate release. He said the government had started victimizing the opposition leaders by filing mutiny cases against them as similar cases had also been registered against some MPs from Balochistan.