KARACHI, April 20: The component parties of Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy in parliament will meet in Islamabad on Monday to discuss strategy to break the deadlock on the Legal Framework Order.

“The only way to break the deadlock created by the government is to hold meaningful dialogue with the combined opposition,” said Makhdoom Amin Fahim, chief of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, while talking to newsmen here on Sunday.

He said the LFO had been prepared by the government and if it was interested in making it part of the constitution then it should place the document before parliament for approval.

He refuted the government allegation that opposition was trying to demolish the democratic dispensation by continuing protest in the house. “We are not against legislation in parliament, and want solution to people’s problems. We want to strengthen democracy and make parliament to be strong and supreme,” he said.

“We want to give powers to Prime Minister (Mir Zafarullah Khan) Jamali. We want a dialogue with the government with an open mind... and flexibility on both sides,” Mr Fahim said.

In reply to a question, he said the initiative for talks rested with the government.

He rejected the government contention that since opposition parties had contested elections under the LFO they had no locus standi to oppose it now and said elections were held under different order and the LFO had subsequently been imposed.

Answering a question about threats that assemblies would be dissolved in case the opposition did not change its stand on the LFO, the PPPP chief said such elements should keep in mind that those who dissolved parliament were eventually themselves removed.

He alleged that Oct 10 elections were rigged and added that the process to form both federal and provincial governments was also not transparent. He said the whole process started with the presidential referendum last year. The PPPP, he said, would never support any undemocratic action.

Asked about his party’s stand on war against Iraq, he said the PPPP was against the military action against Iraq without the mandate of the UN Security Council.

He stressed that the next government in Iraq should be formed according to the will and wishes of Iraqi people.