ARD and MMA join hands against 17th Amendment

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) have agreed to join hands against the 17th Amendment, said ARD leader Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday. He said, "MMA has reviewed its stand on the amendment, as General Musharraf had on the cut-off uniform date." MMA had hinted at disowning the amendment, he added.
Talking to Business Recorder here, he said that in principle both sides had developed an understanding on the amendment. However, how to intensify the campaign in and outside the Parliament would be mutually decided shortly.
MMA conceded to ARD demand and gave its nod vis-à-vis its annulment, he added.
Nisar, who is Acting President of PML (N), said that the two alliances and other allied parties leadership would meet at the Parliament House on Monday and Tuesday to thrash out a common in-House strategy, "though already we have been adopting a common approach on the issues."
He said that ARD, MMA and other opposition groups would hold another meeting, after the current session is prorogued, to decide about launching an anti-amendment campaign across the country.
He said that the present government was not serious about restoration of democracy and revival of the 1973 Constitution. "They are hell-bent on rendering the Parliament a mere rubber-stamp," he added.
He said that the 'dual office' bill had made things crystal clear. "One thing is certain after the passage of the bill that the Parliament will remain hostage to an individual," he added.
When asked whether he was sure that masses would join the campaign, he said that it would be premature to say anything, and added that besides Parliament's supremacy "there are other very serious issues" on which the people had great concern.
He said that the issues the opposition would take to the people would be related to Pakistan's future as a sovereign and democratic state, but did not elaborate.
"Any political movement has its own dynamics and mechanism. People never believed that there would be massive agitation against Ayub Khan. Likewise, the anti-Bhutto movement was never anticipated to be so successful," he recalled.
He said that only time would tell how the opposition constitutional movement would proceed.