June 22, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1427

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ISLAMABAD June 21: An agreement among key opposition alliances, the ARD and the MMA, and other parties on launching a joint campaign against President Pervez Musharraf in September has caused quite a stir and, according to political analysts, may trigger a lot of action and reaction in coming weeks.

However, an announcement by the Pakistan People’s Party that it needs more time to take a final decision has dampened some of the enthusiasm in opposition circles. The PPP said it would came back with a decision after discussing the matter with Benazir Bhutto.

Opposition sources said that the marathon meeting of senior opposition leaders at the residence of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was marked by agreements and also disagreements.

PPP Parliamentarians president and ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim left the meeting while it was in progress, giving an impression that his party wanted to keep its option open for the time being.

The MMA, without agreeing to sign the Charter of Democracy, announced to join a grand opposition alliance with the sole aim of steering the country out of direct army rule.

MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed has convened an all-party conference on June 24 to discuss the worsening law and order situation and unending load-shedding in Karachi.

The ARD is preparing for a meeting in London on July 2 in which the Charter of Democracy is scheduled to be signed by components of the alliance.

The MMA’s supreme council will meet on June 26 to discuss details of the outcome of opposition leaders’ meeting in Islamabad.

MMA’s Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rahman was the first to support the September deadline given by the MMA president for launching the movement.

It was, however, not clear whether the Maulana also agreed with Qazi Hussain on quitting assembly seats and withdrawing from provincial governments if an attempt was made to re-elect Gen Musharraf by the sitting assemblies.