ISLAMABAD: Hamid Nasir Chattha, chairman of the ‘likeminded’ faction of Pakistan Muslim League, said on Thursday he feared that the government might come up with another law to replace the infamous NRO.

Addressing a news conference after the first meeting of the party’s central executive committee, Mr Chattha warned the ruling coalition against threats faced by the democratic system.

He said that institutions were more important than individuals and asked the ruling coalition to be prepared for a ‘sacrifice’ which, according to him, could come even before Eidul Azha.

‘I don’t think that the crisis is over. Rulers are not willing to trash the controversial NRO and the next week is important for a showdown on the issue. My information is that rulers are determined to table another version of the NRO,’ Mr Chattha said.

PML-LM president Salim Saifullah Khan, Khurshid Kasuri, Humayun Akhtar Khan and Kashmala Tariq attended the press conference.

Mr Chattha said that leading a party was different from heading a state and the dilemma President Asif Ali Zardari faced was that he was still co-chairman of his party and was unable to govern the country.

‘Mr Zardari will have to relinquish one of the offices, he added. When asked if his party would support mid-term elections, he said the first priority would be to save the democratic system and ‘we will accept mid-term polls only when asked to save the system’.

Mr Chattha alleged that US interference in the country’s internal affairs had increased to an alarming proportion and asked the government to take measures to safeguard national interests.

‘The ruling party neither fulfilled the promises it had made to its voters nor bothered to listen to coalition partners. And now they are facing the music,’ he added.