RAWALPINDI, Aug 1: Deputy Secretary-General of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Liaquat Baloch on Friday said the ARD boycott of government-opposition talks was its own decision violative of the joint opposition agreement.

The ARD stand can worsen the situation, Liaquat Baloch told reporters at a press conference at the public secretariat of MNA Hanif Abbasi here.

Mr Baloch said the ARD decision would provide an opportunity to General Musharraf to remain president in uniform for five years or as many years as he wished, which would impact on the supremacy of parliament and affect the constitution.

He said talks option should always be left open to avoid triggering of a mass movement which, he said, could worsen the situation beyond control. He said all the opposition parties should remain united in order to resolve the disputed points in the LFO.

He said the decision to hold talks with the government was not decided by the MMA alone but it was a decision of the joint opposition. When Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali invited the opposition for talks on the floor of the House, PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim was the first to welcome the invitation, terming it a positive breakthrough. At the same time, he said, the MMA leaders also welcomed the announcement thereby clarifying that LFO was not part of the Constitution and in case the government insisted on making it a constitutional document, the MMA would not join the talks.

He said the MMA had the same stand on different issues including the LFO. It would safeguard the Constitution, oppose sending Pakistani troops to Iraq and recognition of Israel, would do all to ensure safety of the nuclear bombs, he said.

“The MMA demands that General Musharraf should quit and presidential elections should be held according to the constitution. No compromise is possible on these issues,” he vowed.

To a question, he said the MMA was all set to hold a public rally at Liaquat Bagh for which permission had been sought from the provincial government and ministry of interior. He removed the possibility of a clash between the ARD and the MMA and said all the parties were invited to join the rally.

In response to a question, he dispelled the impression that any deal had taken place between the MMA and the ruling party. It is only a misunderstanding, he said. He said the NWFP government was not given in charity to the MMA adding that it was a mandate given by the people who wanted implementation of Shariah. No talks will be held with the government about the NWFP government, he said.