13 February 2004	Friday	21 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: The long-awaited meeting of the MMA supreme council likely to be held next week is said to be a make-or-break get together of the top brass of the alliance, as at least three of its smaller components have threatened to quit if their demands are not met.

The meeting may also discuss and chalk out a strategy to confront the government on the issue of scientists humiliation and debriefings in order to restore alliance's role as opposition to be reckoned with, sources said.

The smaller parties accuse Chief Minister Akram Durrani and the JUI-F of not implementing the decision of the Frontier MMA. The supreme council had decided that the remaining four component parties with smaller or no representation in the assembly would be given representation on the provincial cabinet.

Central leaders of the MMA have instructed the chief minister to implement it, but now the estranged parties were not ready to accept the offer, the sources said.

An MMA source confided to Dawn that the next meeting of the six-party alliance heads was expected to take serious notice of the dissent creeping up in its ranks and would try to resolve the issues.

Although MMA acting president Qazi Hussain Ahmed has indicated probable dates for the meeting as Feb 17 or 18, but a JUP source told Dawn on Thursday that it was expected to be held on Feb 20 in Islamabad. The meeting, according to insiders, was delayed fearing absence of the smaller component leaders.