24 February 2005	Thursday	14 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: The top leaders of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Wednesday held a detailed meeting to discuss the modalities for cooperation between the two alliances in the anti-government campaign.

Talking to Dawn after the two-hour long meeting, which was held at the residence of PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, ARD secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra termed the meeting successful and claimed that the two alliances had come very close to reach an understanding for launching a joint movement against the present regime.

Mr Jhagra said the leaders of the MMA and the ARD had held thorough discussion on each and every issue and tried to remove the reservations of each other. He claimed that the ARD and the MMA had agreed to launch the struggle for the restoration of constitution to the position of October 12, 1999.

He said it had been decided that after discussing the matters at the parties' level, the ARD and the MMA leaders would again meet in Islamabad on March 7.

The meeting was attended by ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, PPP secretary-general Raja Pervez Ashraf, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, acting PML-N parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, PML-N leader Tehmina Daultana, MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Liaquat Baloch, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed.