No formal proposal to revive ARD: PML-N

Islamabad, Sep 19 (UNI) The Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has denied that Pakistan People's Party made any formal proposal to revive the the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD).

''PPP vice-chairman and ARD chief Makhdoom Ameen Fahim has not formally discussed the alliance issue since the all-parties conference in London,'' Daily Times quoted PML-N General Secretary Zafar Iqbal Jhagra as saying.

''Mr Amin has not even brought up the issue in the couple of informal meetings we have had since then,'' he said.

Mr Jahgra said the PML-N believed that the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) had come up as a bigger alliance of the opposition parties, and the PPP would now have to join hands with it.

He said the only way to make the ARD active would be to make it a part of the APDM.

However, PPP General Secretary Jahangir Badr said that party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto would soon establish formal contacts with the PML-N to revive the ARD.

He said although the PML-N had informally declared the ARD inactive, ''dialogue would never stop in the political process''.

''This is a time for national reconciliation and political unity,'' Mr Badr said.

UNI