KARACHI, May 12: Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani has hinted at a convergence of views with the PML(Q) on the Legal Framework Order, and says the MMA is trying to win over the PPP and the PML(N) to an agreement.

In a Dawn Dialogue interview, Maulana Noorani made it clear that if the current talks on constitutional issues failed, the government would be responsible for it, not the MMA because the alliance had shown the way out of the impasse.

Although Maulana Noorani emphasized that a decision on the contentious issues would have to be taken by the combined opposition, he left things a bit in the air when he said if the MMA agreed to the government’s proposals, a two-thirds majority would be possible in parliament for amending the Constitution.

While expressing his optimism about a successful outcome of the continuing negotiations, he pointed out that the mere fact that the government had agreed to talks meant that it had decided to amend the Constitution through constitutional procedures.

“If Mr Musharraf desires to become president, we are ready to accept him if he comes through parliament and without his uniform,” Maulana Noorani said. But the MMA leader said the PPPP and PML(N) were not in favour of accepting Gen Musharraf, whether in uniform or not. The MMA had given way “because we don’t want to disturb the country. We want to maintain peace in the country”.