November 26, 2003	Wednesday	Shawwal 1, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy has decided not to requisition the session of the National Assembly before seeking clarification from the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal about its unilateral decision to participate in the proceedings, sources said on Tuesday.

They said the ARD leaders were perturbed over the change in the stand of the MMA, which they said had seemingly suddenly developed a soft corner for the regime.

They said the signed notice for requestioning the session was lying with the People’s Party Parliamentarians, which had been asked to submit it in the first week of December.

However, they said, the ARD would not submit the requisition notice without first holding talks with the MMA leaders.

They said it seemed that the MMA was reluctant to launch a movement against President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime, perhaps fearing retaliation by the centre against its two provincial governments.

They said there were reports that Gen Musharraf was planning to hold talks with the MMA leadership after Eid in which an agreement on the Legal Framework Order was expected.

An ARD leader said the MMA would lose its prestige in the eyes of the nation if it accepted Gen Musharraf as president with or without uniform. He warned the MMA leadership against the public reaction if it compromised on principles. He said the people still remembered the ‘million marches’ organized by the MMA against Gen Musharraf’s policies.

He said the agenda for requisitioning the assembly session included debates on the LFO, supremacy of parliament, foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs and increase in the salaries of government employees.

He said if the MMA and the government reached an agreement on the LFO, there was no use of submitting the requisition notice, according to which discussion on the LFO was on the top of the agenda.

He said ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim would contact the MMA leadership soon regarding the launching of agitation against the military regime.

He said the ARD was not dependent upon the MMA for launching a public campaign against the government.

However, he said, the ARD wanted the MMA’s cooperation in the “final battle against the dictatorship.”