ARD not to take part in voting

Published January 1, 2004

ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) is likely to create rumpus in the National Assembly and the Senate on Thursday before boycotting the process of the vote of confidence for President Gen Pervez Musharraf , a source told Dawn here on Wednesday.

The source said that a final decision regarding the strategy for the sessions would be taken at a meeting of the ARD parliamentary groups of the National Assembly and the Senate on Thursday morning.

He, however, ruled out the possibility of giving a negative vote to Gen Musharraf. He said taking part in the voting process would mean that the alliance had accepted the Legal Framework Order (LFO) and the presidential referendum.

The acting parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, when contacted, said the ARD could not become a part of any illegal and unconstitutional practice.

He criticized the government for not allowing the members to deliver speeches during the Thursday's session. He said it was against the democratic norms that members were not allowed to speak during a session.

Another source said that a meeting of the PPP leaders was held in Islamabad on Wednesday to review various options and strategies for the Thursday's sessions.

The meeting was attended by ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, parliamentary leader in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, Farhatullah Khan Babar, Nayyar Bokhari and Naheed Khan.

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