08 September 2004	Wednesday	22 Rajab 1425

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PESHAWAR, Sept 7: Differences among various components of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal appear to have sharpened with NWFP assembly's acting speaker Ikramullah Shahid having refused to attend the alliance's parliamentary party meeting.

The meeting was due to be held here on Tuesday night to outline a strategy for the assembly session to be held on Wednesday. "I will not attend the parliamentary party meeting," said Mr Shahid of the JUI (Samiul Haq group).

He told Dawn that other members of the newly-emerged "accountability group" in the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had been given the option to decide on their own whether to attend the meeting. Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Maulana Fazlur Rehman have also been invited to attend the meeting. Qazi Hussain said last week that he would persuade the acting speaker.

The combined opposition had requisitioned the assembly session to discuss the law and order situation, price hike, distribution of development funds among assembly members, postings, transfers and enforcement of Shariat in the province.

Accusing the alliance of deviating from its electoral manifesto, the acting speaker said that his faction of the JUI had reservations and the matter should be resolved for good.

Mr Shahid, who is leading the 12-member 'accountability group,' said that the alliance's leadership had not yet heard their grievances. He said that the group had discussed the agenda of the session and formulated their own strategy.

Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ayaz Khan declined to comment on the acting speaker's decision.