ARD, MMA put their heads together

Published October 11, 2004

LAHORE, Oct 10: Central leaders of the ARD and MMA were in a marathon session here on Sunday night to discuss how the two alliances could cooperate.

A meeting between Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Liaquat Baloch, Raja Zafrul Haq and Farid Piracha was going on till 11pm.

Sources said Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, due here at 1am on Monday, might either join the meeting soon after their landing or hold a fresh round of talks with the ARD leaders on Monday.

DINNER: Punjab PML-N Secretary General Saad Rafiq gave a reception to political leaders at his residence here on Sunday. Those who attended the reception were ARD chief Makhdoom Amin Faheem, PML-N Chairman Raja Zafrul Haq, Secretary General Siranjum Khan, former president Rafiq Tarrar, Tehmina Daultana, PPP leaders Nafis Saddiqui, Qasim Zia and Naveed Chaudhry, JI leaders Liaquat Baloch and Farid Piracha and UK parliamentarian Chaudhry Sarwar.

Allegation: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has alleged that government officials are harassing its workers. In a statement issued here on Sunday, provincial president of the religious alliance Hafiz Idrees said reports were pouring in from across the Punjab that officials were harassing MMA leaders and workers after the recent wave of explosions.

He termed it a conspiracy to deteriorate the situation as no alliance member had ever been found involved in terrorism or rioting cases. The MMA believed that perpetrators of bomb blasts could not even be called as Muslims, he added.

He held the government responsible for the killing of Mufti Jameel and Maulana Nazir Taunsvi. The government which could not maintain law and order in the country had no right to rule it, he added.

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