ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Differences between the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the two main component parties of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), on Tuesday again surfaced when the PPP issued a rejoinder to the comments made by PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

The PPP Central Information Secretary, Taj Haider, in a statement here on Tuesday, said it was "disappointing" that in-house matters of the ARD were taken to the press by a senior PML- N leader.

Mr Haider was commenting on a statement of the acting parliamentary leader of the PML-N, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in which he had been reported to have said the ARD was facing a "serious threat due to the ongoing tussle between the PPP and the PML-N over nomination of a candidate for the prime minister's office."

Mr Haider said the ARD had an election formula for general elections and by-polls. In the last elections, the PML-N had supported the PPP as the largest group in the ARD for the post of prime minister in accordance with the established formula.

He said the PML-N support came as the by-elections had taken place where the PPP had won the seats or ended as the runners-up. He said the PML-N was simply following the ARD rules in backing the PPP candidates in the PPP allocated constituencies. Similarly, he said, following by-elections in Lahore, the PPP had also supported the PML-N.

He said the PPP did field its candidate against the PML-N during the by-election for a National Assembly seat of Lahore after the PML-N fielded its candidate Ejaz Shafi in by-polls in Karachi.

Moreover, the PPP had given up one of its allocated seats for a by-election to the PML-N (for former deputy speaker Javed Iqbal) after Nawaz Sharif sent a message to Benazir Bhutto through Senator Ishaq Dar.