LAHORE, Jan 10: The all-party conference (APC) and the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) will co-exist and struggle for a representative system in the country from their respective platforms, knowledgeable sources said on Thursday.

However, both the forums will be headed by senior leader Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan. The sources said that the PPP would not be given representation on the steering committee of the APC which the Nawabzada would set up in the near future.

The PPP had not participated in the APC to avoid contact with religious parties which were present in large numbers.

The sources said that the APC and the ARD had identical programmes and there was no conflict between them. There was no harm in the two organizations’ continuing activities from their own platforms, they said.

One leader who did not like to be named said that religious parties had set up several platforms and they were operating concurrently from all of them. Thus, he said, there was no harm in a party with membership of the ARD to simultaneously work with the APC.

Meanwhile, the Jamaat-i-Islami’s acting amir, Syed Munawwar Hasan, called on ARD President Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan on Thursday evening and discussed with him matters concerning the realization of the goals set out by the APC at its Dec 27 meeting.

The JI leader said after the meeting that his party wanted that the APC, the ARD and the Muttahida Majlse Aml (a grouping of various religious parties supported one another’s efforts to force the rulers to set up an interim government to hold free and fair elections, save the constitution from being amended in a manner alien to the basic law.

As for the Jamaat, he said, it would support all efforts for the achievement of these objectives irrespective of the platform from which they were made.

The JI is expected to present a set of proposal to the Nawabzada during the next few days.