December 19, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 24, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 18: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has decided to await the outcome of the ongoing tussle between the government and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on the constitutional package before announcing an agitation movement of its own against the military regime, a source told Dawn here on Thursday.

The source, who is a senior parliamentarian, said the ARD was still undecided about the date on which it would launch its agitation movement.

He said the ARD was closely monitoring the situation with respect to the ongoing tussle between the government and the MMA and could wait for its outcome for at least two weeks before a decision.

He said a meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC), Federal Council and the parliamentary group of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) would be held in Islamabad on January 2 to take a final decision regarding launching of the agitation drive. By that time, he said, the situation would become clearer.

He said there was a very remote possibility that the ARD would join the MMA in its mass contact drive, launched on Thursday after expiry of its deadline set for the presentation of the constitutional package.

He said the government and the MMA were in constant contact and the ARD could not rely on the religious parties’ alliance because it could discontinue its drive anytime.

Moreover, he said, before joining hands with the MMA in any movement against the government, the ARD would have to draw “certain parameters” as it had differences with the religious parties’ alliance on almost all internal and external issues, like Kashmir, Afghanistan and nuclear programme.

He said it would be difficult for the ARD leaders to remain on the stage with MMA leaders during any public meeting if they touched these issues.

The two alliances, he said, were together only on a one-point agenda that the LFO could not become part of the Constitution without the approval of parliament.

He said there was a group within the ARD which had been opposing any kind of cooperation with the MMA for the last one year. “It seems that this group was right in saying that the ARD should keep itself away from the MMA in and outside parliament,” he added.

He said the ARD was determined to launch a forceful agitation movement against the military government. “However, it is yet to be decided as to when this movement will be launched,” he added.