The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) expressed the hope on Saturday that Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) would again boycott the upcoming meeting of the National Security Council (NSC). ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim stated this during a briefing, following the Alliance party heads meeting here at PPP Central Secretariat. "It was a good decision to stay away from the NSC meeting, earlier, and hopefully MMA leader Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani will adopt the same policy again," he added.
The meeting questioned the rationale behind Premier Shaukat Aziz's offer of talks to the opposition, saying after the passage of 17th Amendment and the 'dual office bill', was there any justification for a dialogue?
Quoting late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, he said: "Either there is democracy or not. There is no middle way", adding a serving general is calling the shots, and the Parliament has been subservient to him, providing him a way to perpetuate his rule.
Through resolutions, read out by PML(N) Vice-President Zafar Ali Shah, the ARD demanded withdrawal of cases against Asif Ali Zardari, Javed Hashmi, and Afaq Ahmed, and alleged that the rules had taken a U-turn on Islamabad's Kashmir stance, causing irreparable harm to the country's foreign policy.
The meeting strongly condemned MQM chief Altaf Hussain's statements on the two-nation theory and Kashmir issue. "It is reprehensible that representative of Pervez Musharraf and ally of the ruling coalition made such statements", one of the resolution said.
The ARD leadership expressed concern over the volatile law and order situation, rampant corruption, increasing unemployment and price-hike.
An ARD resolution vociferously condemned US bombardment on Iraq, particularly on women, children and elderly people, and mosques in Fallujah.
To a question, the ARD chief said the Alliance was not in a position to take part in MMA rally in Karachi on November 28. "We can take a decision after ARD-MMA formal contact is made", he asserted.
Announcing a schedule of public meetings, Amin Fahim said the ARD would hold rally on December 6 in Peshawar, December 13 in Azad Kashmir, December 20 in Sialkot, January 2 in Sukkur, and December 20 in Sargodha.
He said he and Raja Zafarul Haq had telephonic conversation with Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, adding after Raja Zafar's week-long visit abroad the formal talks between the Alliance and MMA would begin.
A clear indication that the ARD would not be participating in MMA Karachi rally for which the local administration has not yet given a nod.
Before the meeting, ARD leaders offered Fateha for UAE, Palestinian leader and father of Nawaz Sharif, Mian Sharif.