ISLAMABAD, April 15: The combined parliamentary opposition in the National Assembly forced the treasury benches not to defend President Gen Pervez Musharraf in the event of his address to the joint session of parliament.
Speaking at a news conference after the house was adjourned, the parliamentary leader and president of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said: “Under such circumstances, holding of a joint session will not be possible.”
Earlier reports emanating from a parliamentary meeting of PML (Q) and its allies had suggested that the treasury benches had decided to defend President Musharraf during his address to a joint sitting of parliament.
Mr Hussain said if the opposition desired to discuss the controversial Legal Framework Order, it should bring it in parliament as a bill on private member’s day.
The PML(Q) chief said that if the opposition wanted to debate the LFO in parliament then it should table it formally and seek its scrutiny. Already, both the sides had reached an understanding on 27 out of the 29 articles of LFO.
He said: “We have witnessed enough uproar and rumpus in the house and we have now decided to bring our own agenda of parliamentary business without caring for the noise and cries.”
He added: “We have demonstrated maximum accommodation and tolerance against the irresponsible attitude of the opposition up to now, but now we mean business.”
He ridiculed what he termed “double standards” of the MMA as the alliance kept putting up stiff opposition to the LFO and the president-in-uniform but welcomed President Musharraf upon his arrival in the NWFP capital.
Reacting to the statement, MMA’s Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said bringing the LFO in any shape to parliament would mean recognizing it as a legal piece of legislation “which we will never do.”
Separately, Qazi Hussain Ahmed told newsmen that “we are not bothered even if the assemblies were wound up due to our opposition to the LFO, for we believe that (in that case) many a head will roll, and Chaudhry Shujaat, Zafarullah Jamali and Gen Musharraf will be no exception.”
Meanwhile, the combined opposition and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League(Q) were close to agreeing that more talks were necessary to end the deadlock on LFO as both sought adjournment of the National Assembly session for two more days.
Qazi Hussain said the house was adjourned under an understanding that the talks between the two sides will be held during these two days, and that eminent lawyer and PML(Q) senator S.M. Zafar had prepared a draft of agreement.
Hafiz Hussain alleged that Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and some PPP Patriot members were opposing talks on LFO on fears that if these succeeded, they will lose their ministries.
