KARACHI, Nov 17: A crucial meeting of the supreme council of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal began in Karachi late on Monday night to discuss some important matters concerning the LFO, the supremacy of the parliament, arrest of top opposition leaders and army operation in the tribal areas.

The session, presided over by MMA chief Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, and attended by leaders of the six component religious parties, was still in progress till our going to press, and details are expected to be released on Tuesday.

The alliance in its meeting on Monday night will be discussing some crucial points, including the strategy of the alliance after Eid, negotiations between the MMA and the government over the issue of LFO and the president in uniform.

The alliance is under tremendous pressure from its rank and file to launch a movement as the government side has failed to honour its commitment to bring an amended LFO package in the parliament and give a date in writing when the president would relinquish the office of chief of the army staff, political analysts pointed out.

The MMA may set a deadline for mobilisation of masses against the government only in consultation with another alliance of the opposition parties ARD, which was also considering launching a movement against the government after Eid.

So far the MMA had demonstrated flexibility in its stand on crucial points despite government tactics.

They also said when the MMA sought a clarification on the date on which President Gen Musharraf would remove his uniform, the prime minister did not provide an answer as the president was visiting the US.

Now when the prime minister and the president have returned from the US visit, the clarification has not been provided because the ruling party chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, had gone abroad and the government would have to wait for his return.

The delaying tactics, the sources said, were not enough for testing nerves of the opposition, a leader of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, was picked up and sent behind the bar for making a “fake” letter public.

And now on the eve of the supreme council session, a leader of the Islami Tehreek, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, was arrested as has been nominated in the murder FIR of Maulana Azam Tariq and his party was banned.

Another important item on the agenda is increasing tension on the western borders owing to army operation in the tribal areas.

Allama Noorani told Dawn that the ball was in the court of government as Prime Minister Jamali had to provide certain clarifications sought by the MMA with regard to the agreed package drafted by the government side representative SM Zafar.

The MMA while considering the prevailing situation in the country would decide about its future strategy for maintaining the supremacy of the constitution and the parliament.

The next important item for the agenda was the on-going operation in the tribal areas.

The MMA delegation, which was on a fact-finding mission was not allowed entry in the area, he pointed out, and said the situation had made the western borders insecure for the first time in the history of Pakistan while eastern borders were under attack constantly from the Indian artillery.