ARD and MMA may field consensus candidate

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and other opposition groups have hinted at fielding joint candidate against prime minister-in waiting Shaukat Aziz in election for National Assembly seat.
After the finalisation of constituency or constituencies from where Aziz would contest elections, the ARD and the MMA and other opposition groups might field a joint candidate against the would-be prime minister.
"Yes, this is a possibility," briefly remarked the MMA deputy secretary general Hafiz Hussain Ahmad while talking to reporters at the parliament house here on Wednesday. However, he admitted that there were some differences of opinion among the opposition groups.
The MMA and ARD, unfortunately, remained divided over the issue of fielding joint candidate for the slot of leader of the house against Shujaat. "But there is always a possibility for co-operation among the opposition parties on issue to issue basis," Hafiz Hussain added.
He said that the MMA could consult other opposition parties on the issue. The MMA and the ARD, he said, have not yet ruled out the possible co-operation. "We can move ahead by co-operating on issue to issue," said Hafiz as the ARD and the MMA-the two main groupings of the opposition-are visibly divided on many issues including the nomination of leader of the opposition.
Hafiz rejected the claim of information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad that the MMA had breached the pledge it had made with the government on the NSC.
The government, he said, had not consulted the MMA on the National Security Council (NSC). The MMA had proposed certain amendments to the NSC bill tabled by the government in the National Assembly. But the government had ignored the proposals of the alliance. "We had not participated in vote for the NSC," he said.
"The government cannot dispute the slot of the opposition leader in the National Assembly. Maulana Fazlur Rahman had secured 86 votes, the second highest votes after Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali in 2002," said Hafiz as the ARD has already hinted to request the speaker to nominate Makhdoom Amin Fahim as leader of the opposition.
Makhdoom Amin Fahim has secured 76 votes while the same number of lawmakers remained 'not involved' in election for leader of the house in the 342-member house, he said. "This issue must not widen the gap between the ARD and the MMA," he observed.