ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: ARD president Makhdoom Amin Fahim said on Thursday the nomination of Javed Hashmi would bring disappointment to those who were keen to see differences in the ranks of the alliance.

Talking to newsmen after submitting nomination papers of Javed Hashmi, he said it was widely projected that ARD was on the verge of collapse. These elements "must realize that our alliance stands on solid basis."

He said that the alliance was made up of different parties which had come together on a one-point agenda of restoration of true democracy. He said that component parties had made a solemn pledge to continue their struggle inside and outside parliament to bring real democracy in the country.

Chaudhary Nisar Ali of PML-N said the ARD had nominated Makhdoom Amin Fahim as its candidate for the office of prime minister but he himself had decided in favour of Mr Hashmi because the latter was languishing in jail for the last ten months.

He said the alliance had legitimately been demanding Mr Hashmi's production in the National Assembly but the Speaker never used his constitutional powers to safeguard the interest of an honourable member of the august house.

He said the alliance had furnished an application to the National Assembly secretariat demanding that the Speaker issue production orders for Mr Hashmi so that he could be present in the house during the election of leader of the house, for which he himself was a candidate.

Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan expressed the hope that NA Speaker would follow his own ruling that powers of disqualification vested with the Election Commission, given in the case of Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain when he was contesting for the prime minister's office after Mr Jamali's resignation.

He said at that time Raja Pervez Ashraf of PPP-P had moved an application seeking his disqualification on the grounds that the contestant had waived off loans from banks. -PPI