10 February 2004	Tuesday	18 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Feb 9: A meeting of the component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has failed to resolve the differences among the ruling alliance. The meeting, held here at the Frontier House on Sunday, was presided over by Chief Minister Akram Durrani.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani), which had already announced disassociation from the alliance, was conspicuous by its absence. The party leadership had turned down the invitation to attend the meeting, sources said.

They said that the agenda of the meeting was to resolve differences among the component parties largely emerging due to the non-representation of the smaller groups in the provincial cabinet.

"We hope the differences would be iron out soon as the major groups have agreed to give representation to the smaller parties in the cabinet," a participant of the meeting told Dawn. Mr Durrani urged the alliance partners to pinpoint differences, so that it could be resolved timely.

Senior Minister Sirajul Haq, Senator Gul Naseeb Khan, Senator Prof Ibrahim, MNA Amanullah, Mian Ismat Shah Kakakhel, Mufti Kifayatullah, Allama Abdus Salam Salfi, Allama Ramzan Tauqeer, Allama Fazle Rehman Madani, Agha Shujaat Ali Khan and others attended the meeting.

The provincial chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (S), Qazi Abdul Latif, had also refused to attend the meeting. However, Mian Ismat Shah represented the party in the meeting.

A handout said that the meeting discussed performance of the MMA government and implementation of its policies. The chief minister said that the MMA unity was impregnable and it would be strengthened with the passage of time. All conspiracies hatched against the alliance would be foiled, he vowed.