LAHORE, March 29: While the PPP is determined to keep itself away from the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, the PML-N is likely to review its relationship with the religious alliance.

The first sign of the change of heart was witnessed on Sunday when PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafiq not only participated in but also addressed a conference organized by the JUP, a component of the MMA.

It is said that PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq had allowed Saad to represent the party at the conference. Some important leaders in the PML-N think that if pressure has to be mounted on the government, the party would have to take the MMA along, ignoring the religious alliance's role in the adoption of the 17th constitutional amendment.

Incarcerated PML-N President Javed Hashmi is also in favour of joining hands with the MMA in the larger national interest. Khwaja Saad, answering a question at a news conference, said despite the fact that the MMA had made a blunder by helping Gen Musharraf to have his tenure and policies legitimized by parliament, future cooperation between the two sides could not be ruled out.

When a reporter pointed out that the PPP had a different approach on the issue, he said he was enunciating his party's point of view only. ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who is also head of the PPP-Parliamentarians, said on a number of occasions that the MMA had opted to become an ally of the government, after which there was no meeting point left between the two alliances.

He also repeatedly said that before expressing its desire to get closer to the ARD, the MMA would have to explain its conduct to the nation. Interestingly, as the PML-N has softened its attitude towards the MMA, its cooperation with the PPP is wearing thin.

The two parties, despite being coalition partners, had failed to put up joint candidates in the general elections, and there is little possibility of the two jointly contesting the by-elections on various NA seats.

Two NA seats have fallen vacant in the Punjab and both parties are putting up separate candidates. The PPP argues that since the seats had been vacated by its members, the PPP had the right to nominate its candidates under the formula agreed upon between the ARD parties.

However, the PML-N does not agree with the argument and plans to put up Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal from the Rahim Yar Khan seat and Shahid Akram from that of Bahawalnagar.

Saad said the matter would be referred to the central ARD leadership for a final decision. However, he said, the alliance would stay intact even if no consensus could be arrived at.