15 December 2004	Wednesday	02 Ziqa'ad 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) have not yet decided whether to participate in the All Parties Conference (APC) convened by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi on Monday.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, a number of ARD and MMA leaders said they had not yet received any invitation from the MQM. At the same time, some of them said they were not aware of the 'real motive' behind the APC convened by the MQM, which was part of the coalition government.

A senior leader of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) said the democratic opposition would not "lend its shoulder to an unexplained, ambiguous and mysterious move" keeping in view the past experience.

Jamaat-i-Islami secretary-general Munawar Hassan said the MMA had "serious reservations " about the MQM. He was of the view that the MQM was convening the APC because it feared another military operation in Karachi.

Mr Hassan said the JI would take part in the APC only if the MQM announced to withdraw from the federal cabinet Minister of State for Religious Affairs Amir Liaquat Hussain who issued 'insulting' statements against Ulema and religious leaders. Moreover, he said, the MQM would be asked to clarify the statement of its chief Altaf Hussain about the Quaid-i-Azam, Allama Iqbal and the two-nation theory. Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader MNA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed distanced his party from the conditions set by the JI for attending the APC.

He said the JUI had serious reservations about the MQM's role in the present set-up. He said the MMA itself had convened an APC in Islamabad on Saturday and the MQM had also been invited to it. However, he said, this APC had been called on a non-political topic - "Khatam-i-Nabuwwat".

PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said he had received the invitation officially, but a final decision would be made after consultation with other senior party leaders.

PPP spokesman Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar said his party would put the matter before the ARD for a decision. MQM MNA Kunwar Khalid Younus said he planned to meet leaders of major parties to extend invitations.

Mr Younus said he would visit Malakand on Wednesday to meet JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed. Commenting on reservations expressed by ARD and MMA leaders, he rejected suggestions that the APC had any support from the government.

"Its true that we are part of the coalition government, but the APC has been convened by the party and no official resources would be used for this purpose," he said.

Mr Younus said his party had invited all political parties with sincerity to discuss a code of conduct. He said the MQM believed that Pakistan was facing serious challenges and there was a need for political unity. Replying to a question, he said that MQM chief Altaf Hussain had already said that his party was ready for any snap polls.