ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Liaquat Baloch has said the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) is not sincere in its ongoing struggle against the Legal Framework Order (LFO).

Speaking at a meeting of the office-bearers of the Jamaat-i-Islami Punjab here on Saturday, Mr Baloch said the ARD was only interested in a deal with the government so that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif could safely return to the country.

The MMA leader said the ARD wanted to undo the present set-up to pave the way for a new general with whom they could negotiate a fresh deal. He asked the ARD leaders to make their intentions clear in this regard if they wanted MMA’s cooperation.

He asked all the opposition parties to make a pledge that they would never accept army general as ruler of the country in the future.

He said the government after agreeing to present a constitutional package before parliament unconditionally went back on its promise and imposed subsequently a condition that the MMA make a public undertaking to give a vote of confidence to the president in the trade-off.

Mr Baloch said the religious parties’ alliance had told the government that the MMA would only support it in the passage of the constitutional package with a two-thirds majority.

He said the MMA could not give vote of confidence to Gen Musharraf as the religious parties’ alliance disagreed with most of his policies. He said the MMA had shown maximum flexibility and the government should not expect more.

He said in the last meeting, which was presided over by the late Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, it was decided that the MMA would not give vote of confidence to the president and the Dec 17 deadline would not be extended.

He asked the activists and office-bearers to be ready to launch a decisive agitation against the military government. He said the MMA was determined to launch the movement from Dera Ghazi Khan on December 18.