16 July 2004	Friday	27 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, July 15: MMA president and Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Qazi Husain Ahmed said on Thursday that religious parties were ready to discuss with the ARD possibilities of fielding a joint candidate against Shaukat Aziz.

"We may share two National Assembly constituencies from which Mr Aziz is contesting the election. If the PPP is serious then there should be a strong candidate against Mr Aziz," he said.

Speaking at a news conference here, he said US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was visiting the subcontinent to solve the Kashmir issue according to the Indian wishes.

He said that the US official had come here to enforce the agenda of making the Line of Control an international border. The aim of the Americans was to eliminate the role of mujahideen across the LoC, he said.

To a question, he said the Shujaat administration had reached an accord with the tribals in the NWFP that foreigners in Wana would be registered but not handed over to the government, but bulldozers welcomed the tribals when they reached Wana.

He said the annual congregation of Jamaat-i-Islami would be held at Minar-i-Pakistan from Oct 1 to 3. Committees had been constituted to finalize the arrangements, he said.