ISLAMABAD, July 31: The growing differences between the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) have caused the two to take divergent positions on holding a protest public meeting on Aug 14 and contest each other’s claim on the leader of opposition’s slot in the National Assembly.

The two alliances have sought separate permissions from the city administration to stage the public meeting rally on the country’s Independence Day which the two had earlier decided to hold jointly at Rawalpindi’s historic Liaquat Bagh.

And as the ARD announced on Wednesday Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s name for the slot of the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly claiming that the alliance had more MNAs on its side than the MMA, the religious alliance came up with the argument that since the parties in the ARD did not contest the election under one single symbol, they could not be regarded as formal supporters of Mr Fahim.

The differences between the two came to the fore last Sunday when the MMA broke ranks with the combined opposition and entered into negotiations with the government on the latter’s invitation against the advice of the ARD.

The call for a combined public meeting in Rawalpindi on Aug 14 was given by both the ARD and the MMA together after the all parties conference (APC) convened by the religious alliance in Lahore on July 6 and then the one held by the Pakistan Muslim League-N in Islamabad on July 26.

Soon after the July 26 APC, PPP Secretary-General Jahangir Badr wrote a letter to Rawalpindi District Nazim Tariq Kiani to inform him about the ARD’s decision to hold the public meeting at Liaquat Bagh on Aug 14.

In the letter, delivered to the district Nazim by the PPP deputy chief whip and MNA, Mr Nayyar Bokhari, on the same day, the ARD had sought cooperation of the city administration in organizing the rally. “Keeping in view the sanctity of the Independence Day, it is hoped that the district administration will extend its full support and cooperation in making the event a memorable one,” it said.

Mr Badr had written the letter in his capacity as convener of the special nine-member committee constituted during the ARD meeting on July 25 to make arrangements for the public meeting. According to the sources, the local chapter of the MMA has also sought separate permission of the district Nazim for the public meeting at the same venue on the Independence Day.