LAHORE, Nov 12: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml candidate for prime minister Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday that religious parties’ alliance had reached a settlement on a number of important issues in talks with the PML-Q and the Constitution had been saved from becoming controversial.

The nation would be very happy on learning the outcome of the parleys during the next few days, he said while talking to Dawn, ahead of the MMA’s Supreme Council meeting in Karachi on Wednesday.

He said he would stay as MMA’s candidate for prime minister and would not like even to discuss it unless all other matters were decided first.

“Power-sharing formula is of secondary importance for the MMA. We first want to decide the basic issues. We have already settled a number of issues and talks are progressing in the right direction”.

Although the MMA leader refused to identify the subjects on which the agreement had been reached, his assertion indicated that religious parties felt themselves closer to the PML-Q than the ARD, although head of the 15-party alliance had already declared support for Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The Maulana said key to all problems lay with the military regime and religious parties were holding talks with the PML-Q as it represented the rulers.

“What have we to discuss with the PPP,” asked the MMA leader, indicating that being an opposition party it was not in a position to accept any of the religious parties’ demands.

“We have told the ARD that we have identical views on various issues. But being moderate in our approach, we feel ourselves closer to the PML-Q while you have many differences with them”.

Observers say that this means chances of the MMA forming a coalition in cooperation with the ARD are remote.

The Maulana said the Legal Framework Order was among the most important issues which the MMA would like to settle before holding talks on who should hold the offices of prime minister, the Senate chairman, the National Assembly speaker.

Whatever the MMA was settling with the PML-Q would then be taken up by the latter with the military authorities and this is how the final agreement would be reached, the amir of the JUI-F explained.

“We adopted a tough stand, but we have saved the Constitution from becoming controversial. We want the supremacy of parliament at all costs”.

Replying to a question, the Maulana said he was in constant contact with the ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and all decisions would be taken after taking him into confidence.

In response to another question, the MMA leader said the sovereignty and integrity of the country were very dear to the alliance and it would not tolerate foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs.