FAISALABAD, April 9: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy has announced that none of its component parties will hold talks with Gen Pervez Musharraf or the ruling coalition on the Legal Framework Order outside parliament.

This was stated by ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan on Wednesday. He was briefing newsmen after the meeting of the heads of ARD component parties here.

Nawabzada Nasrullah said opposition parties were ready to hold talks with Gen Musharraf and the ruling coalition on the LFO both in and outside parliament. But the attitude of the government forced them to change the policy, he said.

He said there were indications that Gen Musharraf was hoodwinking the members of parliament, claiming that the LFO had already become a part of the Constitution.

He claimed that Gen Musharraf would not be allowed to address the joint session of parliament because he was not an elected president.

“The future line of action will be announced later but it is clear that the component parties of the ARD will put up strong resistance over this issue.”

The ARD demanded through a resolution that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to return.

Through another resolution, the meeting condemned the US-led attack on Iraq and termed it as the worst international terrorism.

The ARD leaders expressed concern over the statement of Bush administration that after Iraq some other country would also be attacked.

Another resolution claimed that there was no democratic system in the country and all affairs were being run by the military rulers.

The ARD leaders also demanded that the government should give a second thought to its stand on the LFO in the larger interest of the federation.

He urged Gen Musharraf to be flexible in his stand over the LFO issue and said he (Musharraf) and his handpicked men were trying to run an incapable assembly through the LFO. The ARD was trying to revive the status of the elected house, he added.

Another resolution criticized the Sindh government for “treating MQM Haqiqi activists and leaders as outlaws.”

The meeting also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, alleging that the government agencies had miserably failed to protect the lives and properties of the people.

Through another resolution, the ARD leaders demanded that the government should take strict action against the men of a sensitive agency who picked up and tortured deputy opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Rana Sanaullah Khan.

ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah presided over the meeting, attended by Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, Tehmina Daultana and Khalid Kharal.

RALLY: All is set for holding an ARD rally on Thursday against the US invasion of Iraq.