BAHAWALPUR, Aug 20: MNA Farooq Azam Malik, while admitting indirect contacts with both Pakistan Peoples’ Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), has said he actually belongs to Nawab Salahuddin group.

Talking to Dawn on telephone from Islamabad on Monday, Malik dispelled the impression that he could not attend the meeting called by President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Multan on Saturday because he was out of the country. Rather, he frankly admitted that he was very much here in Pakistan when the general met with parliamentarians from Bahawalpur district.

He made it clear that he was part of the group led by Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, who was presently in London having negotiations with former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Malik criticised MNA Riaz Hussain Peerzada for reconciling with the ruling group being backed by Chaudhrys of Gujrat and leaving the other members of PML forward block alone.

He said both the PPP and PML-N needed the group’s support for winning seats in the district.

Sources said that being a non-PML member Farooq Azam Malik was not invited to the president’s meeting as only ruling party lawmakers were asked to ensure their presence there.

Howevr, Mr Malik parried the question about the reason for his absence from the meeting.