LAHORE, Dec 18: Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) leaders will meet here on Thursday (today) to discuss the political situation in the country and decide the future course of action.

Alliance secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra told Dawn on Wednesday that the Legal Framework Order was among the major subjects on the agenda.

The alliance, he said, did not accept the government’s point of view that the LFO was a part of the Constitution. The participants, he said, would discuss the possibility of launching a campaign both in and out of the parliament to pressurize the government into withdrawing the controversial amendments.

Mr Jhagra said a decision on the opposition leader was also expected on Thursday.

Matters concerning by-elections would also be taken up at the meeting, the leader from NWFP said.

Meanwhile, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan said on Wednesday that the ARD would also discuss the possibility of taking the Mohajir Qaumi Movement in its fold.

The Karachi-based ethnic organization had submitted its application long ago, when parties in the ARD were operating from the GDA platform. However, the matter was left to the alliance’s Sindh organization, whose chairmanship was held by the PPP.

PPP’s reservations about induction of the MQM-Haqiqi in the coalition kept the matter pending.

On Wednesday, wives of MQM leaders Afaq Ahmed and Younas Khan called on the ARD president with the request that their organization should be given membership of the coalition.

The Nawabzada told them that the matter would be taken up at the meeting on Thursday.

The wives of MQM leaders also apprised the ARD president of the details of the operation in Karachi which they alleged was meant to please the Muttahida leadership.

The Nawabzada expressed serious concern over the Karachi situation, saying that the operation was uncalled for.