ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: The persistent deadlock in the talks on Legal Framework Order is likely to bring the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal back on the same platform once again as leaders of the two alliances invited each other to attend their respective public meetings in Lahore and Rawalpindi on Aug 14.

The general secretary of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Munawwar Hassan, while talking to Dawn on Tuesday, said the MMA wanted to invite some ARD leaders to deliver speeches in their public meeting at Liaquat Bagh on the country’s Independence Day.

Similarly, he said, the MMA wanted to be invited to attend the ARD’s public meeting at Mochi Gate in Lahore on the same day. In this way, he said, the joint opposition would succeed in putting pressure on the government from two fronts. He said the MMA and the ARD were still united on several issues, including the LFO.

A central MMA leader Liaquat Baloch, when contacted, said both the public meetings were being arranged by the opposition parties to launch protest campaign against the LFO and the president’s uniform. He said the MMA would welcome the ARD leaders in its public meeting in Rawalpindi and similarly it was ready to take part in the Lahore’s rally, if invited, as the purpose of both the rallies was the same. He, however, said the MMA had not received any formal invitation from the ARD.

Meanwhile, sources in the ARD told Dawn that the PPP general secretary, Jahangir Badar, had been asked by Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan to contact the MMA leadership and invite them to attend the ARD’s rally in Lahore.

Mr Badar in a press conference in Lahore on Monday had already said the MMA would be welcomed in the Mochi Gate rally, if it made the commitment not to violate the declarations formulated at the APCs held in Lahore and Islamabad.

There are chances that the two major opposition alliances would join hands in parliament as they had already announced to continue their protest inside the house if the government convened the National Assembly session without resolving the issues of LFO and president’s uniform issues.

The MMA and the ARD were part of the combined opposition till July 26 and both of them had announced to hold a joint public meeting at Liaquat Bagh on August 14.

However, the differences between the two alliances emerged when the MMA entered into a dialogue with the government on the LFO while the ARD boycotted these talks.

The ARD announced to part ways with the MMA when the religious alliance showed its willingness to accept Gen Musharraf as the president in uniform for one year.

The two at first tried to claim separately that the Liaquat Bagh rally was being held under their auspicious. Later, however, ARD decided to shift its public meeting to Lahore.