ISLAMABAD, April 6: An emergency meeting of the heads of component parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has been convened here on Wednesday, said the acting parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Talking to a group of reporters at the Parliament House here on Monday evening, Chaudhry Nisar said the meeting had been called to chalk out future strategy regarding the debate and voting on the bill for the formation of the National Security Council (NSC) and to resolve differences between the PML-N and the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) on certain issues.
The PML-N leader said "misunderstandings" with the PPP had been removed on several issues. "The remaining issues will hopefully be resolved in the April 7 ARD meeting", he added.
He confirmed that the differences between PPP and PML-N on support to Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal in the bye-election on Rahimyar Khan seat still persisted. However, he expressed the hope that it would also be resolved in the next meeting.
Both the PPP and the PML-N had fielded their candidates for the seat and the PML-N was trying to get the PPP's support for Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal and in return, it had offered support to the PPP candidate on the Bahawalnagar seat.
Replying to a question, Chaudhry Nisar said the ARD had joined hands with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) only on one point that the religious alliance was also opposing the NSC bill in the National Assembly. He said the ARD was clear in its stand that there was no need of the NSC.
He said the ARD would oppose the NSC bill with full force inside and outside parliament. He said the speaker had agreed to give opposition members 10 to 12 hours to speak during the debate on the NSC bill.
In reply to another question, the ARD leader said the alliance had not yet decided whether to take part in the voting process or not. "It depends on the government's attitude", he added. Besides, bye-elections on two NA seats, the PPP and the PML-N also have differences on several issues, including Wana operation and bill on Hudood laws.
It may be mentioned that the differences between the PPP and the PML-N came in the light for the first time when the PPP announced that it would not take part in the long march towards Wana with the PML-N claiming that the decision was not finalized in the ARD meeting held in Islamabad on March 26. On the other hand, the PML-N leaders claimed that the decision was taken unanimously in the ARD meeting which was presided over by none other than Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
The PML-N leaders later through press statements openly criticized the PPP leadership and alleged that it had changed the decision only to please "foreign masters." Later, the PML-N had to announce postponement of the march. Similarly, the PML-N members also announced to oppose any bill moved by the PPP to repeal Hudood Ordinance.