ISLAMABAD, March 20: Opposition leaders on Thursday accused the government of shirking its fraternal obligation of supporting Iraq by proroguing the National Assembly.

Speaking at a press conference, parliamentary leader of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Naveed Qamar of People’s Party Parliamentarians and other leaders said the government was supporting the United Stated but it did not have the courage to announce it.

They said National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain had violated the Constitution by proroguing the session on Wednesday instead of adjourning it till the next day.

Javed Hashmi said the opposition wanted to get a resolution passed on the Iraq issue in Wednesday’s session but the proceedings were abruptly stopped by the speaker.

He said leaders of the ruling coalition, including Abdus Sattar Lalika, had assured the apposition that a unanimous resolution would be passed. However, on directive from somewhere, the session was prorogued, he said.

“If the quorum was incomplete, the speaker could have adjourned the session, but the proroguing was preplanned,” he alleged.

Naveed Qamar said the opposition had filed a requisition for convening the special National Assembly session to discuss the Iraq issue. However, the treasury benches and the speaker were not serious in passing a unanimous resolution to support the brotherly country, he said.

He said the government seemed to be scared of opposing the assault of the US-led forces on Iraq.

He said the speaker had violated Article 55 of the Constitution by proroguing the session.

Former minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said: “The government had assured the opposition that the session would continue till Friday, but it was suddenly prorogued without any solid reason.”

He said Saudi Arabia had been providing 100,000 barrels of crude oil to the country free of cost every day for the last year, therefore the increase in prices of petrol was unjustified.

Former finance minister Ishaq Dar said the price of petrol would shoot up if the war prolonged.

He said the Alliance or Restoration of Democracy had demanded that surcharge on petrol should not be raised if its price went up.

He said the opposition had submitted a requisition for session of the Senate by March 28.