ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: The government has not contacted any member of the forward bloc in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, says dissidents’ leader Riaz Hussain Pirzada. Talking to Dawn on Saturday, Mr Pirzada said that eight members of parliament were with him at his press conference on Friday against a government’s claim that only six legislators were in the bloc.

Mr Pirzada ruled out reconciliation with the party leadership and reiterated his demand for resignation from PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Ilahi.

He said that time was running out for Chaudhrys as “we are growing in numbers”.

“We expect a call from President General Pervez Musharraf any time to explain our position and to tell him that the party needs a major surgery and we cannot be satisfied by the reconciliation talks nor will we meet Chaudhry Shujaat even if he tried to meet us,” said Mr Pirzada.

In reply to a question why the group had failed to bring all its 22 members to his press conference on Friday, he said they enjoyed support of even more people.

He said a large number of legislators were offended by the Chaudhrys and they desired to get rid of them but they were under coercion and could not come in the open.

Mr Pirzada said the group had decided to bring more and more lawmakers from the Seraiki belt to the forefront instead of central or upper Punjab.

He did not agree with the prime minister that the forward bloc was an internal matter of the party and said that President Musharraf alone could resolve this.