December 17, 2003	Wednesday	Shawwal 22, 1424

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PESHAWAR, Dec 16: Member of the PML-Q committee that held talks with the opposition over the LFO issue, senator S. M. Zafar, flew into Peshawar late Monday night and held talks with MMA leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed to break the deadlock over the contentious points of the LFO.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, Qazi Hussain Ahmad said Mr Zafar had come as a special emissary of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to seek assurances that the MMA would give President Musharraf a vote of confidence if the government tabled the proposed amendment bill in parliament by the Dec 18 deadline set by the MMA.

“I flatly rejected Mr Zafar’s proposal, asking the MMA to give a vote of confidence to Gen Musharraf,” Qazi Hussain said, reiterating that the alliance would not budge from its ‘principled stand.’

Sources said Senator Zafar told the MMA leader that the government was ready to present a constitutional package in parliament, if the alliance agreed to give a vote of confidence to President Pervez Musharraf.

The Jamaat-i-Islami chief, however, hinted that the MMA would not oppose any move aimed at seeking a vote of confidence for President Musharraf.

“We offered that the MMA would abstain, instead of opposing Gen Musharraf’s bid to seek a vote of confidence from parliament,” he said.

Qazi Hussain said the ruling party did not need the MMA votes for the exercise. The government, he said, already had a simple majority.

In reply to a question that whether Mr Zafar sought extension in the Dec 18 deadline, the MMA leader replied: “No, he did not extend any request in this regard.”

Without naming anyone, Qazi Hussain alleged that a certain group in the president’s camp did not want an end to the ongoing deadlock in the country.

He said he was proceeding to Multan to attend a crucial meeting of the alliance that would give final touches to the “Musharraf Remove Campaign” scheduled to be launched on Dec 18.

Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and senior provincial minister Sirajul Haq were also present at the meeting which was held at the Chief Minister’s House.