ISLAMABAD, June 27: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has decided to strengthen coordination with the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy in view of the situation arising out of the 'forced' resignation of prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali, sources said.

Alarmed at the nomination of Senator Shaukat Aziz as the next prime minister, the MMA decided to consolidate its liaison with the ARD for restoring a true democracy by bringing the military's role in politics to an end, the sources said.

As a first step to achieve this objective, the MMA has asked the ARD to build consensus on fielding a common candidate for the election of the leader of the house on Tuesday.

MMA's deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed met PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq on Sunday and suggested that ARD president and detained PML leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi should be considered as the joint candidate.

Mr Haq assured the MMA leader that he would put up the proposal before the ARD meeting.

Talking to Dawn, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said he had suggested Mr Hashmi's name as a quid pro quo as the PML-N had supported Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the previous election for the leader of the house.

Besides, MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazl met alliance's acting president Qazi Hussain Ahmed and discussed the political situation. Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Qari Gul Rahman also attended the meeting.

The MMA decided to convene a meeting of its supreme council on Monday. Its parliamentary party's will meet on Tuesday morning to plan strategy for the special session of the National Assembly later that day.

Both the alliances, the sources said, were unanimous that there should be a consensus candidate to face Chaudhry Shujaat in the contest.

Meanwhile, a top ARD leader contacted an MMA leader in Lahore on Sunday and discussed with him fielding a joint candidate for the Tuesday's contest, adds Amjad Mahmood from Lahore.

The two alliances had parted ways in parliament after the MMA entered into an agreement with the government on the LFO issue.

MMA's deputy secretary-general Liaquat Baloch told Dawn that a senior leader of the ARD phoned him and sought the MMA's cooperation against the ruling coalition.

"Something should be done in the emerging situation," Mr Baloch quoted the ARD leader as saying.

The ARD leader, whose name Mr Baloch would not disclose, was told that the MMA had always been desirous of cooperating with the opposition parties but it was the ARD that had made the 17th amendment an issue.

The ARD leader was told that the MMA would support a joint candidate against Chaudhry Shujaat provided Maulana Fazl was accepted as the opposition leader.

Mr Baloch expressed the hope the issue would be settled by Monday afternoon when nomination papers for prime ministership would be filed.

The MMA also challenged the legality of appointing an interim prime minister.

"There is no such provision in the constitution and the MMA shall contest it at all forums," Mr Baloch said.

Answering a question, he said the MMA was also ready to back a combined candidate of the opposition against Mr Shaukat Aziz when Mr Aziz would contest a by-election from a constituency of the National Assembly.