December 31, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 26, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: The opposition parties on Monday alleged that certain “supra-parliamentary forces” also played an active role in luring or coercing party members to change their loyalties and vote for Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

The allegation of the involvement of “supra-parliamentary forces” was first levelled implicitly by People’s Party Parliamentarian MNA Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan which was reiterated by Qazi Hussain Ahmed in his speech.

Leader of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Qazi Hussain Ahmed minced no words and said that men in uniform were also remained active in forcing or luring opposition members to change their loyalties.

Mr Ahsan warned the ruling coalition not to set bad traditions and become tools in the hands of extra- parliamentary forces which he said had not let the democratic system to take roots in the country.

He called for checking these hands adding that those causing chaos among the ranks of opposition parties would do the same to the ruling party in future.

Lambasting the government for horse-trading, he said, now the government had no portfolios left to offer the new turn coats, now it had thrown open the coffers for wooing support of opposition members.

Reflecting on the defection of Dr Sher Afgan he alluded to surrender of Gen Niazi in the December of 1971 and said that the month of December was not good for the Niazi clan.

He alleged that the government agencies were houn-ding the opposition members and mid-night raids were being carried out on their residences.

Mr Ahsan also referred to the ruling given by Supreme Court in famous Syed Zafar Ali Shah case challenging the military take-over, he said, the apex court had not given the mandate to the government to change the parliamentary complexion of the constitution.

Earlier Dr Afghan in his speech at the floor of the National Assembly said that he would give vote to Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali in the interest of democratic system.

He said he was still against the military rule and President Gen Pervez Musharraf but he would vote for Mr Jamali as he was the elected prime minister and belonged to genre of politicians.

Besides Sher Afghan Niazi five other members of the PPP including Pir Aslam Bodla, Asad Gillani, Faiz Tamman, Shahnaz Shiekh and Naseer Chaudhry voted for the prime minister Jamali.

Three members of the MMA who violated their party policy were Maulana Amir Maqam, Maulana Ahmed Saddiq and Maulana Khalil-ur- Rehman. Krishan Bheel and Jaffar Bukhari of PML-N also defected. Two members who took oath on Monday — Arbab Zakaullah and Rauf Mengal also voted for the prime minister.