LAHORE, Jan 15: Political parties of various shades of opinion will be participating in an all-party conference here on Jan 30 to work out a joint line of action on some important issues on which their thinking is in conflict with that of the government.

The APC may also culminate in the formation of a joint opposition in the National Assembly and provincial legislature to prevent the government from taking ‘unilateral decisions’ on policy matters.

Senior leader Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan will host the APC, which will be preceded by an ARD meeting on Jan 29.

The Legal Framework Order which has been made part of the Constitution by the PML-Q-led coalition despite reservation by opposition parties will be high on the agenda.

The notification issued by the cabinet division in the light of the LFO, giving all important powers to the president, has created a stir in the ranks of opposition parties. So far, parties in the ARD and the MMA have been saying that the LFO is not a part of the Constitution and mere statements by various government functionaries to the contrary carry no value.

The ARD and the MMA insist that under the Constitution, Gen Musharraf cannot become president nor can he amend the basic law, notwithstanding the judgment of the Supreme Court.

“If the Constitution is in existence, Gen Musharraf can’t become president, and if he is president, the Constitution is not in existence”, argues Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan.

MMA vice-president Qazi Husain Ahmed had threatened recently that he would resign as a member of the parliament if the LFO was incorporated in the Constitution.

PML-N acting president Javed Hashmi had supported the MMA leader, saying other opposition parties might follow suit.

APC participants will look for some effective methodology to force the government to take back the package of constitutional amendments.

The humiliation the Pakistanis in the United States are having to face on account of registration laws will also be discussed.

Opposition leaders say that Pakistan is the most allied ally of the US in its war on terrorism, and it is regrettable that in spite of this role its nationals are being treated as suspects by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service.

FBI’s operations in Pakistan as a result of which various people have been arrested will also be discussed. The ARD and the MMA think that giving the FBI a free hand to arrest anyone from any part of the country amounts to surrendering sovereignty and national dignity.

Aggressive Indian designs against Pakistan will also be discussed.

ARD leaders think that utterances by some Indian leaders that while India could survive some nuclear bombs, Pakistan would be wiped out in case of retaliation, and allegations that Pakistan is still involved in cross-border terrorism are part of strategy to justify a possible attack on Pakistan.

Another item on the APC agenda is preparations being made by the US and the UK to attack Iraq.

It has been pointed out that although the UN inspectors have failed to detect weapons of mass destruction despite searching all places, the US and the UK are bent upon destroying the Islamic country.

Opposition parties are not satisfied with the government policy towards Iraq.

The delay in the Senate elections and the way the government ‘rigged’ the Jan 15 byelections will also come under discussion.