LAHORE, Oct 16: Like the major components of the ARD, the PPP and the PML-N, smaller parties of the coalition also have divergent views on the need for a grand opposition alliance, utility of quitting the assemblies at this juncture, launching a movement against the government or converting the ARD into an election alliance.

On the other hand, a central leader of the MMA has explained that the coalition of religious parties wants a collective leadership for the proposed broad-based alliance so that no single party or leader could take over the control.

Nawabnzada Mansoor Khan, who is president of the Pakistan Democratic Party and senior vice-president of the ARD, said in an interview that his party wanted all opposition lawmakers to quit the assemblies without delay.

He recalled that participants in the August 31 all-party conference had agreed to say goodbye to the assemblies and there was no justification for any party not to adhere to that decision.

As for the formation of a grand alliance, he said, the matter should be decided through talks. He hoped that a meeting between Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Raja Zafarul Haq, Qazi Husain Ahmed and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to be held after Eid, would take a final decision on the subject.

Mansoor Khan said he was in favour of a grand alliance and a strong movement against the present rulers. Also, he said, the PDP supported the idea of converting the ARD into an election alliance.

Islamic Democratic Front chief Syed Munir Husain Gilani said there was no need for any party to quit the assemblies. He said the country was heading towards fresh elections and all parties should prepare themselves for the challenge.

Mr Gilani said the IDF supported both a joint opposition and a grand alliance. However, since no alliance would like to give up its name for the sake of a new coalition, an anti-government campaign should continue from the platform of joint opposition.

He did not see any possibility of the ARD being converted into an electoral alliance. Thus, he said, parties should make seats’ adjustments with each other.

Pakistan Shia Political Party chief Pir Nau Behar Shah was of the view that the opposition legislators should quit the assemblies en masse.

He was of the view that it would be very difficult for the leadership to agree to convert the ARD into an election alliance.

Answering another question, he said while a joint opposition was already there, it would be better if a grand alliance was set up.

Jamiat Ulema-I-Ahle Hadith chief Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh said resignations from assemblies at this stage would be an exercise in futility. Opposition parties, he said, should concentrate on the new polls and ensure that they were free and fair.

He saw no possibility of an anti-government movement taking off at this stage when the elections were round the corner.

Khamosh said the MMA had no right to demand a grand alliance when a joint opposition was already in the field.

There was no need to make the ARD a poll alliance as adjustments could be equally good.

Istiqlal Party chairman Manzoor Gilani said opposition MPs should resign their seats and launch a movement.

He said since the MMA lawmakers were in no mood to free up their seats, there was little scope for the emergence of a grand alliance.

In response to a question, he said the ARD should be made an election alliance.

Pakistan Christian National Party leader Joseph Francis said any decision taken by the ARD on the question of resignations would be acceptable to his party.

He said his party could not go with the MMA. However, he said, the ARD should launch a movement in cooperation with other like-minded parties.

Another ARD leader Mufti Ferozuddin Hazarvi said resignations should be tendered at a time when they could bring the desired results. At present, he said, this option would not have any impact.

Alleging that the MMA was an ally of the ruling PML, he said the ARD should not join hands with the religious alliance.

He said for the time being no discussion had been held on making the ARD an election alliance.

Meanwhile, MMA leader Liaquat Baloch says the proposed grand alliance could have a collective leadership. He said a committee comprising leaders of all parties could be set up to take policy decisions.—Ashraf Mumtaz