ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has once again offered its conditional support to the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) for the forthcoming election to the office of prime minister in the National Assembly if the alliance nominates jailed PML-N leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as its candidate.

A source in the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) told Dawn that the offer was formally made by MMA leader Liaquat Baloch in a meeting with PML-N Punjab president Khwaja Saad Rafiq on Thursday evening.

The source said that Mr Rafiq had told Mr Baloch that the MMA's offer would be considered at the forum of the ARD. It may be mentioned that the MMA had presented the same offer to the ARD at the time of the election of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as prime minister after resignation of Zafarullah Jamali in June.

However, the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) rejected the MMA's offer at that time and nominated Makhdoom Amin Fahim as its candidate. Later, the MMA abstained itself from the voting process.

The PPP leaders had termed that offer a part of the religious alliance's efforts to create differences within the ranks of the ARD. Meanwhile, ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has convened a meeting of the parliamentary group of the alliance on Friday to discuss strategy for the premier's election.

ARD parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi told Dawn that the meeting was scheduled for Thursday but it was postponed for a day as several important leaders were not available in the capital.

He said the meeting would be held at the Parliament House at 4pm. Replying to a question, he said the ARD would most likely take part in the election for the office of the prime minister.

"Definitely, we will not leave the field open for the government," he added. Meanwhile, a source in the ARD told Dawn that Makhdoom Amin Fahim would likely be the candidate of the alliance for the PM office.