Islamabad: The understanding reached between Pakistan government and Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) to end the deadlock over President Pervez Musharraf's constitutional amendments cannot be termed a success until the government submitted the agreed formula for the approval of the Parliament, the Islamist alliance has said.

Playing down the significance of the agreement between MMA and ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leaders over the Legal Framework Order (LFO), which incorporated Musharraf's amendments, senior MMA leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad said he preferred to wait till the government submitted the proposals for Parliament approval.

"Each time the MMA reached any understanding with the government on the LFO, it was disapproved by President Musharraf. This time too, the two sides have reached agreement on various issues, but what is to be accepted or rejected will only be known when a constitutional amendment bill comes before us," Qazi told reporters on September 7 night.

He said MMA was willing to approve some of the provisions of the LFO, like reducing the voting age to 18 years, but the religious alliance would be firm on Musharraf quitting as Chief of Army by October, 2004. According to MMA, the PML-Q leaders agreed that Musharraf would quit by 2004.

The formula, expected to be submitted to an all-party meet and later to parliament for approval, may be rejected by mainstream Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as it has not touched any measures announced by Musharraf to keep former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, heading PPP and PML-N respectively, out of the country and out of politics.

PTI