KARACHI, Dec 31: Highlighting the importance of a strong and unified opposition, a number of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sindh, leaders said in joint statement on Wednesday that the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) should avoid issuing emotional statements for cheap publicity.

Maulana Asadullah Bhutto, Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Allama Arshad Zahid, Muhammad Hashim Siddiqui, Mufti Usmanyar Khan, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid, Qari Muhammad Usman and others expressed the view that a unified opposition was in the greater interest of the nation and the country to counter dictatorship and resolve the problems being faced by the masses.

Rejecting criticism by the ARD on the government-MMA agreement on LFO, the statement said that the MMA had not pledged vote of confidence to Gen Musharraf. The propaganda by ARD leaders in this regard, it added, was an attempt to cover up the role of their dissident legislators.

The leaders clarified that the agreement with the government was aimed at restoring supremacy of the parliament and get its usurped rights restored by rejecting an LFO to be imposed by an individual.

The agreement was in line with the MMA's principled stand. Terming the agreement 'victory of people', the leaders vowed to continue the struggle, along with the other opposition forces, for the rights of people and against dictatorship.