LAHORE, Dec 23: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will meet soon to decide modalities of cooperation to force the rulers to restore what they call a “democratic system”, top PPP and PML-N leaders say. Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Raja Zafarul Haq told Dawn on Friday that the leaders of the two alliances would discuss the situation and devise appropriate strategy to have their demands met.

However, it is not clear whether the two coalitions would be able to work together when the JUI-F, an important component of the MMA, decided recently that it would not support the demand for elections before 2007 or that Gen Musharraf should step down.

Some months ago, the ARD and the MMA had constituted a committee comprising Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Raja Zafarul Haq, Qazi Husain Ahmad and Maulana Fazlur Rehman to decide modalities of cooperation between the two sides. However, they have yet to hold a formal meeting.

According to the ARD chairman, an “informal” exchange of views on the subject did take place when the leaders of the two alliances met recently to discuss the question of terms of reference of the parliamentary party, constituted by the government for the post-earthquake situation.

He said now a formal meeting was expected in the near future.

PML-N chairman Raja Zafar shared the view, saying leaders of the two alliances would sit together and decide what kind of struggle should be launched to have a democratic order restored.

JUI-F sources, on the other hand, say that the party will not change its stand that elections should not be held before 2007 or Gen Musharraf should not be replaced in a manner that way was cleared for another general to take over.

The sources said cooperation between the ARD and the MMA in parliament was possible, but a movement on the streets was out of question.

They pointed out that a JUI leader who has been representing the party in the MMA’s Supreme Council meetings has been replaced because of his statements “which were very close to the ARD’s point of view.”

They said it was the first time that Maulana Sherani and Abdul Ghafoor Haidri represented the JUI instead of Hafiz Husain Ahmad.

Other MMA sources hope that the religious alliance and the ARD would find common grounds for cooperation. They said both the alliances were opposed to dictatorship and would work together for the restoration of a democratic system.