05 December 2004	Sunday	22 Shawwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has nominated its Secretary-General Saranjam Zamindar and former NWFP chief minister Pir Sabir Shah to participate in the first public meeting of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) in Malakand on Monday (tomorrow).

This was stated by PML-N Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooque while talking to Dawn here on Saturday.

Mr Farooque said that another party leader Iqbal Zafar Jhagra would also take part in the public meeting as the ARD secretary- general.

When asked why senior party leaders like Raja Zafarul Haq, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Tehmina Daultana and Khwaja Saad Rafiq were not attending the public meeting, Mr Farooque said his party believed that the December 6 rally in Malakand was part of the election campaign of the PPP candidate. Therefore, he said, the party considered that participation of the local leadership would be sufficient in the meeting.

When asked to comment on the demand of the PPP for fresh elections within four months, Mr Farooque said his party was ready for the next elections, as it required only 100 days for preparation. He expressed the hope that the exiled prime minister Nawaz Sharif would soon return to the country.

In response to a question about the reports that Mushahid Hussain Syed's name had been proposed both by the PPP and PML-N as the next caretaker prime minister, he said his party would not accept any caretaker prime minister appointed without the consent of Nawaz Sharif. He said Mushahid Hussain was not capable of holding the office.

The decision of the senior PML-N leaders to stay away from the ARD meeting is being seen as a setback to the ARD's anti- government campaign even before its launch.