ISLAMABAD, July 7: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has started making contacts with other opposition groups to chalk out future strategy regarding launching of the anti- government campaign and moving a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

According to a spokesman for the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), ARD secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra talked to Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) president Mahmood Khan Achakzai on telephone from London.

Mr Jhagra, who is also the PML-N secretary-general, apprised the MMA and PkMAP leaders about the decisions taken at the ARD meeting held in London on July 2.

Mr Jhagra will also contact Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Awami National Party (ANP) president Asfandyar Wali Khan to discuss the plan for moving a no confidence motion against the prime minister as per decision of the ARD meeting.

Meanwhile, Mr Jhagra has convened a meeting of the PML-N central council for the party elections on August 2. Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for July 30.

The ARD has already started preparation for moving a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the National Assembly.

It may be mentioned that the ARD in its July 2 London meeting through a resolution had demanded resignation of Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz by July 31, “failing which a vote of no-confidence shall be moved against the regime.”

The resolution was adopted at the concluding session of a day-long meeting of the alliance, the first of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy in more than five and a half years attended by former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. The proposal to move the no trust motion against the prime minister and impeachment of President Gen Pervez Musharraf had come from PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.