LAHORE, Sept 4: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has warned the government of intensifying its mass contact drive if it slammed the doors on the LFO issue.

Religious alliance’s deputy secretary-general Liaquat Baloch, who along with Hafiz Husain Ahmad is representing the MMA in the talks, however, believed that the government would not commit such a mistake.

“Holding talks is their compulsion and not ours.”

He was answering a question about the MMA’s reaction in case the government refused to continue the dialogue on the plea that the process was not proving to be result-oriented.

He said delay in solving the LFO controversy was damaging the reputation of the government for its engagement in the talks had diverted its attention from the primary duty of a government, addressing people’s problems.

About Information Minister Sheikh Rashid’s statements, Mr Baloch said as the minister was not associated with the talks process, the alliance was not taking his statements seriously.

However, if these statements were meant to pressing the MMA to change its stance, then the government had miscalculated (the MMA’s spirit), he said.

He said there was no question of offering suspension of the Constitution’s articles that barred a government employee from holding a public office because they were already suspended due to which the army chief was occupying the presidency too.