LAHORE, Jan 9: PPP's Punjab president Qasim Zia said on Friday that the MMA had impaired its credibility by accepting the LFO and supporting Gen Musharraf as president.

He said now the religious alliance had become an ally of the ruling coalition, no matter on which benches its legislators sat in assemblies. Qasim Zia said this at a "Meet-the-Press" of the Lahore Press Club. Information secretary Nav-eed Chaudhry was also with him.

The PPP leader said his party would not change its stand on the LFO or the presidency of Gen Musharraf, and would continue its struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution.

He said the ARD and the MMA were two different entities, and the former would not join hands with the latter because of its somersault on important constitutional issues.

When it was pointed out that the PPP and the PML-N had different views on the Islamabad Declaration issued at the end of the SAARC summit and the relations with India, he said these matters did not fall in the purview of the ARD.

He said the ARD had a single point agenda, and its constituents were free to have their independent views on other subjects. Had all parties identical views on all issues, they should have merged into a single entity, he argued.

He was critical of the government's performance, saying everything had slipped out of its control. He challenged the government's claims about the state of law and order situation in the Punjab. All statistics had been concocted to give a false impression that the situation was well under control, he said. He denied reports that he had differences with central secretary-general Jehangir Badr.

Answering a question, he said those who had left the PPP to join hands with the ruling party were traitors who would never be taken back into the party. He said the party leadership had taken a decision on the subject and would firmly implement it.

He said some of the defectors were facing corruption cases instituted by the NAB. Qasim Zia donated Rs50,000 to the press club.