June 7, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 6: The combined opposition announced on Friday it would continue its protest on the floor of both houses of parliament during the budget session after what it termed the government’s failure to resolve the constitutional impasse.

The combined opposition would hold its meeting before the budget session to finalize its strategy for protest.

Parliamentary parties of the PPP, the MMA and the PML-N would also hold their separate meetings before the joint meeting.

Deputy Secretary-General of the MMA Liaquat Baloch briefed newsmen about the meeting with National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain which was attended, among others, by PPP chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim, acting PML-N chief Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Syed Khurshid Shah MNA.

Mr Baloch said: “We have impressed upon the speaker that since the government has failed to resolve the constitutional issues nor any indication is given that a constitutional bill will be presented in the house, the opposition is constrained to continue its protest during the budget session.”

When asked about the mode of protest, he said, it should be held in a decent manner with members standing in their seats, but a lot also depended on the government side.

He maintained that the aggressive attitude of the government against the opposition indicated that it was planning to wind up the entire system.

People’s Party Parliamentarians chief Makhdoom Amin said: “We have made it clear to the speaker that the PPP would not compromise on the supremacy of parliament and the Constitution. The situation on the floor of the house will be a reflection of the government’s own attitude which was unable to resolve the constitutional tangle.”

In reply to a question, Mr Baloch said the MMA would like to continue the process of dialogue as its desire to resolve contentious issues was aimed at upholding the supremacy of parliament.

He said instead of creating a congenial atmosphere, various government functionaries, including Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali and Information Minister Sheikh Rashid, had caused more tension and provocation.

In this connection, the MMA leader said the prime minister’s remarks about Ulema at a recent public meeting in Jhelum were uncalled for.

He said the opposition would continue its protest for the supremacy of parliament and upholding the Constitution, and if the government resorted to any action similar to that of the Punjab Assembly the responsibility for the worsening of the situation would be on the government.

He alleged that Information Minister Sheikh Rashid had adopted an aggressive attitude in his statements against the MMA leadership at the behest of the president.

The petition challenging educational degrees of the MMA legislators, he said, was another ploy to pressure the alliance. He said most of the MMA MNAs and senators had the degrees of “Shahadat Al-Alamia” which was recognized by all the universities.

The unconstitutional steps against the NWFP government were a clear intervention in the provincial autonomy, he added.

He described the action against the protesting MPAs of the Punjab Assembly as a black chapter in the democratic history of the country.