ISLAMABAD, May 27: Leaders of two major opposition alliances — the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy — on Tuesday reiterated their resolve to continue their joint struggle against the Legal Framework Order and their demand for the president to relinquish his post of the chief of the army staff.

Dispelling the impression about creation of rifts between the two opposition alliances, they said that the MMA and the ARD had decided to take a unified stand during talks with Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Terming the threat of dissolution of assemblies failure of Gen Pervez Musharraf regarding implementing democracy in the country, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed said there was no split over the issue of LFO, adding that there would be no compromise on the issue of the president’s uniform.

He said the two opposition alliances were struggling to restore the parliament’s sovereignty.

Acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said the opposition would not let the government present the budget if the LFO issue remained unresolved.

Replying to a question if there were any plans to meet Gen Musharraf, they said there was no such proposal.

The meeting, which had been arranged by president of the People’s Party Parliamentarians Makhdoom Amin Fahim at the residence of PPP Senator Anwer Baig, was attended by leaders of the opposition parties, including MMA president Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, acting president and parliamentary party leader of the PML-N Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan (PML-N), Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Raza Rabbani, Latif Khoso, Naveed Qamar, Allama Sajid Naqvi, chief of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Mehmood Khan Achakzai and chief of Pakistan Tehrik-i- Insaaf Imran Khan.

Political analysts attached importance to Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali’s visit to the Army House, where he had gone as soon as he arrived from Lahore.

The prime minister, it was reported, had gone to the Army House right after he visited the residence of PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, where Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi was also present.

From there, they had gone to the Prime Minister’s House, where the meeting was continuing till the filing of this report.

Press Secretary to the PM Rai Riaz could not be contacted despite repeated attempts to know about the details of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the MMA asked Prime Minister Jamali to convene the promised meeting of the heads of the parliamentary parties to discuss the joint committee’s report on the LFO.

Earlier, the premier had postponed the meeting and was believed to be trying to gain time for further consultations with his coalition partners.

During the past two days, he had held meetings with PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Millat Party chief Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari as well as his close aides.

On Monday, he has also met the government’s representatives on the joint committee, including S. M. Zafar, Syed Safwanullah, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, Riaz Pirzada, along with PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat.

Earlier, the supreme council of the MMA, which met with its president Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani in the chair on Tuesday, decided to show maximum flexibility on issues without compromising its principled stand on the president’s uniform.

The meeting discussed Prime Minister Jamali’s consultations with the alliance’s secretary general Maulana Fazlur Rahman, which was held on Friday last.

It observed that the issue of separation of the offices of the president and the chief of the army staff could only be resolved on the basis of give and take.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s vice president Qazi Hussain Ahmed told reporters that the alliance had not set any deadline regarding the president to relinquish his post as the army’s chief.

While threatening that the alliance would resort to agitation if the ongoing government-opposition talks failed, the JI leader said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal hoped the two sides would arrive at a solution in this regard.

The JI chief rejected rumours regarding resentment within the alliance over JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s meeting with prime minister.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman also reiterated the resolve to show maximum flexibility during the talks with the government, saying that the alliance would hold talks with a positive mindset.

He, however, made it clear that the success of talks was dependent on the attitude of President Gen Musharraf.

The MMA, during its meeting, rejected the decisions to extend the retirement age of judges.

It also discussing the Kashmir issue with reference to the efforts to revive bilateral talks between India and Pakistan and called for resolving the long-standing issue in the spirit of United Nations resolutions.

The alliance decided to hold talks with APC on Kashmir and other issues.

The meeting was attended by heads of the six component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, including Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Maulana Samiul Haq, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi and Prof Sajid Mir.