LAHORE, Oct 17: The PML-N’s ‘suspicions’ that the PPP was holding secret talks with the government to hammer out a deal stood removed when Makhdoom Amin Fahim met former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in London on Tuesday and told him that the ‘disinformation’ was being spread by the regime to drive a wedge between the two major opposition parties and break the ARD.

“Mr Nawaz Sharif is 100 per cent satisfied with what Mr Fahim said at the meeting,” PML-N secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra told Dawn after about an hour-long meeting.

Mr Fahim said the PPP and the PML-N would continue to work together for the ideals set in the charter of democracy.

The meeting was held at the PML-N secretariat. Mr Fahim was accompanied by Wajid Shamsul Hasan and Dr Rehman Malik, while Mr Jhagra, Tehmina Daultana and Syed Ghous Ali Shah assisted Mr Sharif.

The objective was to finalise agenda for a Sharif-Benazir meeting to be held on Thurs-day. However, political situation in the country also came under discussion.

Tuesday’s meeting was important as Ms Bhutto had admitted in a recent interview that back-channel contacts between the PPP and the government were going on although there were ‘stubborn differences’ between the two sides. The statement raised many an eyebrow and political circles started speculating that the fate of the ARD was quite uncertain.

“We trust each other and will continue to work together. The government will not be able to split us despite all efforts,” Mr Fahim said while talking to this correspondent.

Answering a question, he said the formation of a grand alliance did not come up for discussion as it was a ‘non-issue’.

However, he said, both sides agreed to step up struggle for democracy after Eid.

Although the PML-N wants the opposition legislators to quit assemblies to pull down the government, Mr Fahim said this issue was not discussed at the meeting. He reiterated that the option of resignations would be exercised at an appropriate time. Mr Jhagra quoted Mr Sharif as telling Mr Fahim that he never believed that the PPP was holding talks with rulers.

Mr Fahim, he said, informed the meeting that the PPP had nothing to discuss with the military dictatorship.

The PML-N chief was of the firm view that the ARD would not be divided despite the government’s disinformation campaign.

According to Mr Fahim, it was for both the former prime ministers to decide who should assist them in the talks on Thursday.