15 February 2005	Tuesday	05 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: The heads of the component parties of the ARD will meet here on Tuesday (today) to review the current political situation in the country with particular reference to the situation in Balochistan and Commonwealth's position on Gen Musharraf's uniform.

The meeting is being considered important by political circles as it is taking place after recent meetings of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and MMA leaders with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Jeddah.

The meeting was originally scheduled for February 8 but it was postponed at the eleventh hour due to departure of ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim to Dubai for consultation with Ms Bhutto and Asif Zardari.

On Monday, ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim and secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra called on Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq at his office and finalized the agenda for Tuesday's meeting of the alliance.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Jhagra said the PML-N would brief the leadership of the PPP and other ARD component parties on the meetings of MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and leader of opposition in the national assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman with Nawaz Sharif in Jeddah.

Mr Jhagra said other important items on the agenda were the situation in Balochistan, price-hike, poverty and unemployment in the country. He said the ARD would also take up the issue of the Kalabagh Dam for the first time.

The ARD secretary general said the meeting would also discuss the statement of the Commonwealth secretary general in which he had stated that Gen Musharraf could retain his army uniform till 2007. He said the meeting may pass a resolution to condemn this statement of the Commonwealth secretary general.

Responding to a question, he said the question of possible ARD-MMA cooperation would also discussed in detail. He said it was good to know that the MMA, in its Supreme Council meeting on Monday, had announced the next phase of its protest plan.

Mr Jhagra said the participants of the ARD meeting would also discuss the plan for launching an anti-government movement. However, he said, most probably the ARD would not announce its schedule for the public meetings in the Tuesday's meeting and the same would be finalized in next meeting to be held soon.