Islamabad: Hardening their stand, Pakistan Opposition parties have asked President Pervez Musharraf to appoint a full-time Army chief and announce a schedule for Presidential elections, even as they failed to reach a consensus on attending talks with the ruling coalition.

While the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) - comprising Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League - decided to boycott the talks called on July 27 by Prime Minister Zaffarullah Khan Jamali, some parties are likely to attend, media reports said.

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six Islamic parties, said it would talk with the government only on the issue of the controversial amendments to the Constitution made by Musharraf, known as Legal Framework Order (LFO).

The All Party Conference (APC) on July 26, attended by 28 Opposition parties and representatives of Supreme Court and High Court Bar Associations, adopted a 19-point Islamabad Declaration calling for the restoration of the 1973 Constitution, opposition to the LFO, Musharraf as President and sending Pakistani troops to Iraq, and commitment to independence of judiciary and press.

Reports said the statement by the chief of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) Chaudhury Shujaat Hussein, that the question of Musharraf giving up his Army post would not be discussed at the meeting on July 27, led to the ARD's boycott decision.

Meanwhile, lawyers who attended a convention in Quetta told the Opposition leadership that any compromise on the LFO or the President's military post in July 27 meeting would oppose forces opposing the LFO and benefit Musharraf.

PTI