The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal on Friday decided not to attend the donors’ conference being held today (Saturday). The opposition parties, in separate meetings, decided not to attend the conference, saying the decision had been taken after the government had failed to take the opposition in confidence over the relief activities in the earthquake-hit areas of northern Pakistan.Talking to Daily Times on Friday, MMA Deputy Secretary General Liaqat Baloch said he had also consulted PML-N leaders Raja Zafarul Haq and Zafar Iqbal Jhagra and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Senator Raza Rabbani before the party meeting. About whether Maulana Fazlur Rehman would attend the conference, Baloch said he would not attend the conference as the MMA secretary general, but could be there as the opposition leader in the National Assembly.
PPPP Secretary General Raja Pervez Ashraf said the ARD had decided not to attend the conference because the government had ignored the opposition parties with regard to the relief operations. He said another reason for not attending the conference was that the government had appointed soldiers to look after the relief effort. The PML-N had decided not to attend the conference because the government had invited its leaders to sit in the audience and not take part in actual proceedings.