LAHORE, Dec 13: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy favours normalization of relations between Pakistan and India in a dignified manner.

ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said this while speaking at a news conference after a meeting of the coalition leaders here on Saturday.

He said that in the process of normalization of ties between the two countries should not be carried out at the cost of national dignity, adding that removal of the Ghauri missile’s model from Islamabad ahead of Prime Minister Vajpayee’s visit next month manifested that rulers were panic-stricken.

He reminded that India took no such step when Gen Pervez Musharraf visited Agra a couple of years ago.

PML-N leaders Tehmina Daultana and Khwaja Saad Rafiq said the party did not support Prime Minister Vajpayee’s single currency proposal or opening of borders at a time when India was fencing the Line of Control, a step they feared may lead to the making of the LoC a permanent international border.

Punjab ARD head Qasim Zia notwithstanding the party’s desire for improved ties between the two countries, the procedure adopted by Gen Musharraf in this regard was unacceptable.

He reminded journalists that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had also proposed a soft border between Pakistan and India besides calling for facilitation of contacts between Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC.

A PML-N leader later said on the condition of anonymity that though their party and the PPP were ARD allies for the revival of democracy, it did not agree with all of the PPP’s views for ties with India. “For us, the country is more important than the system it should adopt (in connection with normalization of ties)”.

Reiterating the ARD’s point of view on the LFO, Mr Amin Fahim said the alliance would never accept an individual’s right to amend the Constitution or the supremacy of any institution over parliament, an obvious reference to the National Security Council.