MULTAN, Jan 13: The ARD and its component parties are 'out of their senses' after the resolution of the constitutional crisis through the 17th amendment. This was claimed by MNA Liaquat Baloch , deputy secretary-general of the alliance, while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday.

He claimed that the government-MMA agreement on the 17th constitutional amendment had brought an end to the blackmailing of ARD and other 'opportunist' political elements in the country. "The agreement has thwarted their bid to grind their own axe by striking a deal with the government in the backdrop of a constitutional crisis," he added.

He alleged that Gen Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto shared a common stand on the genocide of Muslims in Afghanitsan, US invasion of Iraq, Pak-India relationship and crackdown on seminaries. He also alleged that ARD in fact wanted to serve the 'US cause' by maintaining instability by prolonging the constitutional crisis.

Mr Baloch said the government should now focus on the economic woes of the people. Saying that ignoring parliament in matters of national interest was not in the interest of democracy, he demanded that the government should have to discuss its internal, external and economic policies in the National Assembly.

He condemned the operation in Wana (South Waziristan) and demanded that it should be done away with immediately saying "the army-public clash is not in the national interest".

Remand: A local civil judge on Tuesday remanded a cable operator and his three employees in police custody for a day. The police had on Monday arrested Sony Cable Service owner Rana Ayub and his employees Aslam, Rehan and Safdar for exhibiting Indian movies which condemned creation of Pakistan and promoted ideas amounted to abolition of its sovereignty.

Khurram Siddiqui of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority had lodged a complaint against the operator for exhibiting Indian movies The hero and LOC. The police produced accused before Civil Judge Chaudhry Anwar Ali on Tuesday and sought their 14-day remand. The judge remanded the accused in police custody for a day.