10 January 2005	Monday	28 Ziqa'ad 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: The government is unlikely to insert the religion column in the new machine-readable passports due to 'technical' reasons, it is reliably learnt.

"Despite back and forth between the government, cabinet ministerial committee, establishment and the PML leadership over the past week, the PML leadership is clear that in keeping with the technical aspects of the new passports the exclusion of religion column for the time being may be acceptable," sources told Dawn on Sunday.

However, the government is categorical that there would be no compromise on inscription of the full constitutional name of the country on English version of the passport. At present, while on the Urdu version of the passport is inscribed Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on the English version the only word imprinted is Pakistan.

The Muslim League leadership and the main opposition party, the MMA, have both been demanding that the English version of the passport also has the full constitutional name of the country inscribed on it.

A Cabinet Ministerial Committee was set up last week by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to discuss the religion column issue after differences on it emerged between the government and the ruling party. The MMA has been insisting that the religion column be retained.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the prime minister in the next few days. Sources close to the ruling party privately concede that the government has mishandled the religion column issue.