ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: Differences between the camps of the president and the prime minister have reportedly sharpened as the former very much wants the government to make fresh contacts with the MMA to end the 10-month-long constitutional deadlock, while the latter does not believe that anything can be gained by continuing to woo the alliance.

Mr Jamali had reportedly said that he was sick and tired of contacting the MMA and other opposition leaders every now and then because he (the PM) believed he was hardly in a position to cut a give-and-take deal with the religious alliance as he did not enjoy any mandate from the president to break the impasse.

It was a “totally frustrated” prime minister who left for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a five-day official visit, sources in the know of things said.

They said the prime minister believed that without conceding anything to the MMA, the present assemblies would not function properly and that the president will have to do something about it.

During individual and collective interaction with the PML-Q MNAs and senators last week, the prime minister said that he could no be held responsible for the growing differences between the government and the opposition.

“Mr Jamali maintains that he, being a simple MNA and without enjoying strong support of the PML-Q and its coalition partners, was not in a position to deliver anything in the current situation,” a source said.

He added that the prime minister will have a meeting with the president after his return from Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation obtaining in the country.

“Another important thing is that Mr Jamali and Chaudhry Shujaat don’t think alike anymore on various issues, and this is not good for the ruling party and the president as well,” another source claimed.

He said the opposition parties had decided to step up their struggle against the LFO and the president’s military uniform both in and outside parliament. “And this could turn out to be very serious, specially when differences within the government on various issues continue,” the source said, choosing to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, other sources said the government had asked the MMA leadership to consult the government’s technical committee comprising prominent constitutional experts like Sharifuddin Pirzada and S.M. Zafar for any amendments to the LFO.

“And if the committee accepts the amendments proposed by the MMA, the government would not oppose it and would help it pass by parliament,” a source said.

Sources said the MMA leadership was also conveyed that the powers of the president to dissolve the assembly or dismiss the government would also remain unchanged. However, in case the president decides to dissolve the assembly, he shall file a reference in the Supreme Court.

“And the day the apex court upholds the dissolution order, new elections will be held after 90 days,” the sources said. And in case the decision comes against the government, the assembly will stand restored immediately and that everyone will accept that decision, they added.