ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Saturday made a belated announcement of his decision to join the opposition’s boycott of the international donors’ conference here. Speaking at a hurriedly called news conference, Maulana Fazl said he had never said that he would attend the conference. But he did confirm that he had allowed NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani to attend the event.

Maulana Fazl said if the opposition’s boycott had sent a wrong message to donor countries, then it was the government’s own fault because it had failed to take the opposition parties into confidence before organising the event.

About the JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq’s decision to attend the conference, he said, “His presence in the conference is not significant nor requires any action as he has crossed all limits of persuasion.”

Inside sources told Dawn that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed had persuaded Maulana Fazlur Rahman to stay away from the donors’ conference.

When asked about the opposition’s position on the proposed parliamentary body to be headed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Maulana Fazl said, “We will discuss it amongst ourselves when the government comes up with the plan”.