LAKKI MARWAT, Jan 24: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said that talks on the Hasba bill with the federal government would begin on Feb 9.

Addressing a convention of ulema at Sarai Naurang on Wednesday, he expressed the hope that the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue would be in the provincial government’s favour.He said opponents of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government were hatching conspiracies to defame it because of its growing popularity.

In this regard, he referred to federal Minister Amir Muqam’s statements against his government.

“The opponents of the MMA cannot tolerate the growing popularity of the ulema, that is why they are using different means to defame us,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb, MNA Shujaul Mulk, MPA Syed Amanat Shah, Chief Minister’s Advisor Shamsur Rehman Shamsi and other leader also spoke at the convention.