ISLAMABAD, April 16: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman has suddenly become a hot favourite for the coveted office of the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

After the passage of the National Security Council (NSC) bill by both the houses of parliament and getting the president's assent, the filling up of the office of leader of the opposition had become imperative to complete the council as he will be one of its 13 permanent members, sources said.

The ARD which has a combined strength of 81 (PPP-59, PML-N 18, PTI-1, BNP-1, PkMAP-1 and JWP-1) in the NA against MMA's 63 is likely to lose the slot to the latter on technical grounds, as the Speaker of the National Assembly, according to the sources, is likely to dismiss the claim of the former on the pretext that it is not a CEC-recognized alliance.

The government is said to believe that it would have to pay a huge price externally if the NA speaker recognized the MMA as the parliamentary opposition. The gesture, it is argued, would be construed by the international community as a setback for Musharraf's 'enlightened moderation' agenda.

But this price would be small compared to the one the government would have to pay if the ARD got the coveted position as, according to the PML sources, the alliance would not spare a single moment to embarrass the government politically, inside and outside parliament, as well as in the NSC.

"Amin Fahim or Nisar Ali Khan, whoever occupies the position in the NSC in case it is given to the ARD, would surely make it impossible for the NSC to run smoothly," said a PML stalwart. And there is also a possibility that the ARD leader would refuse to even sit in the NSC as the alliance has rejected the body.

MMA's deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told Dawn that the alliance had submitted a list signed by 63 MNAs to the speaker for consideration of its nominee Maulana Fazlur Rahman as the LOOP, and it was now up to the government to take a decision.

Asked whether the religious parties' alliance's claim on the office was just when the ARD claimed support of over 80 MNAs, he said: "We claim to be the largest single opposition party after PPP Parliamentarians was reduced to a group of just 59 MNAs following defections of 20 of its members to the Patriots group".