26 November 2004	Friday	13 Shawwal 1425

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PESHAWAR, Nov 25: NWFP People's Party general secretary Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao has criticized the decision of the leader of opposition Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani of not attending the Nation Security Council meeting.

In a statement here, he deplored that the MMA leadership had committed a great blunder by ignoring such an important forum which was assigned to tackle vital national issues. The leader said the MMA was giving lame excuses for not attending the NSC meeting, and added that MMA's conditions for postponing the meeting were illogical.

He alleged that the MMA was trying to misguide the nation, saying that MMA supreme council's decision to debar its leaders from attending the NSC had showed their real face. He criticized the MMA for responding negatively to the dialogue offer of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. It was a proof of their disbelief in democratic process, he said.

The leader said that if the MMA had been sincere to the national problems, it should allow Maulana Fazalur Rehman and Akram Khan Durrani to attend the meeting where they might present their point of view. But this decision had totally disappointed the masses, he said.

Taking strong exception to Durrani's refusal to attend the NSC meeting, Mr Sherpao said that on one hand the CM criticized the federal government for mistreatment meted out to the province while on the other he refused to attend the meeting which was to discuss important issues.

It was ironical that on one hand the NWFP government had formed a jirga to resolve the problems of the province while on the other it had ignored constitutional and legal forums to resolve these issues.