ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: A meeting of the heads of the component parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy will be held here on Saturday to chalk out strategy for its anti-government protest movement.

Sources told Dawn that the heads of the ARD component parties would also finalize the strategy for the possible cooperation with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the anti-government protest. The meeting, to be presided over by Alliance chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, will be held at the central secretariat of the Pakistan People's Party at 11am.

Both the ARD and the MMA had earlier announced that they would launch a protest movement against Musharraf regime after the passage of the "uniform bill" from parliament. The MMA has already announced the schedule of its public meetings, starting from Karachi on Nov 28.

The sources said the ARD would also finalize a schedule in its Saturday's meeting. Sources in the People's Party Parliamentarians told Dawn that there were sharp differences within the party and the ARD over the issue of cooperation with the MMA. They said a majority of the members did not want any kind of relationship with the religious parties because of their "dubious role" in the past.