04 September 2004	Saturday	18 Rajab 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: A meeting of the heads of the component parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) is being convened in Lahore next week, says parliamentary secretary of the alliance Izhar Amrohvi.

Talking to Dawn here on Friday, Mr Amrohvi said the meeting was being convened to discuss the current political situation in the country after the election of Shaukat Aziz as prime minister.

He said the ARD leaders would also discuss the plan to move a no-confidence motion against National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain for his "partial" attitude. Mr Amrohvi said in the recent meeting of the ARD parliamentary group, several members of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-N had demanded that the no confidence motion should be submitted against the speaker.

He said the PPP members were critical of the speaker because they said he did not give them time to speak on the floor of the house. Similarly, he said, after the speaker's refusal to issue the production order of jailed ARD president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, several PML-N leaders also supported the idea of moving a no- confidence motion.

He said it was strange that a person could contest the election to the highest public office, but he could not attend the National Assembly session because of his conviction. Besides this, Mr Amrohvi said, the ARD leaders would also discuss the issue of the "big size" cabinet, appointed by Mr Aziz.