ISLAMABAD, June 22: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain regretted on Sunday that his ruling on the LFO instead of his conduct in the house had formed the basis of the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him.

“The opposition should have expressed confidence in me and should not have brought the no-confidence motion on the basis of my ruling,” the speaker said while talking to reporters here at his residence.

Sardar Nasrullah Khan Dareshak, an MNA from Rajanpur, who was also present on the occasion, said this was for the first time that a no-confidence motion against the speaker’s ruling had been tabled, while usually the conduct of the speaker in the house formed the basis of any such motions.

The no-confidence motion signed by 12 opposition members against the speaker on June 20, 2003, under Rule 12 of the Rules of Business of the National Assembly stated: “We hereby give notice that we intend to move a no-confidence motion for the removal of the speaker from his office for the reason that he (the speaker) transgressed his authority by giving a ruling on the Constitution and thereby undermining the sovereignty of the house which was beyond his purview regarding the LFO’s status vis-a-vis the Constitution.”

Chaudhry Amir Hussain maintained that the present uncertainty was not in the interest of the country nor would it help strengthen institutions or the system. The sooner the issue was resolved, the better it would be for the country, he said and added he did not know when the session of the National Assembly would be called as it was up to the government to summon the session.

The speaker said he was not privy to any government strategy to counter the opposition’s move, and added that the onus was on the opposition to bring the required number of members in the house on that day to carry the motion.

“I tried my level best to remain impartial which is evident from the fact that the prime minister nominated me to preside government-opposition negotiations on the contentious issue of LFO, which the opposition also accepted,” the speaker said, adding that he always tried to help the opposition in the house, which they also knew.

“I never irritated any opposition member while presiding over the session — a conduct I would continue to practice even after the no-confidence motion is defeated,” he said.

Replying to a question, Chaudhry Amir explained that the speaker had a right to reply for half an hour to the points raised by the opposition during the no-confidence motion — a right, he would avail if need be.

“But still I will remain calm and composed and will not create any controversy in my speech,” he said.

Chaudhry Amir rejected the opposition’s allegation that he acted under influence or his ruling was ill-timed. He said he never acted under any influence as whatever he had said in his first press conference after assuming the office of the speaker, he repeated it in his ruling.

The speaker should always be given a free hand and the members should never try to pressure him, otherwise he would never be able to give ruling on any subject, he added.

Moreover, his ruling declaring the LFO part of the Constitution was long over due. “Before giving my ruling I have listened to the opposition members who failed to convince me,” the speaker observed.

He referred to the ruling of former National Assembly Speaker Syed Fakhr Imam under which the privilege motion of MNA Mumtaz Ahmed Tarrar was ruled out of order on the grounds that the house was competent to take up amendments afresh and competent to re-amend, it if wanted, or amend any other clause or article of this Constitution.

Mr Mumtaz Tarrar had raised a question of privilege that the amendments made by Gen Ziaul Haq in the 1973 Constitution through Revival of the Constitution Order (RCO) outside parliament had breached the privilege of the house. Mr Tarrar had emphasized that only the house was competent to make amendments to the Constitution in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Constitution.

Chaudhry Amir said he would sit in the house instead of his chambers on the day when the no-confidence motion was taken up, saying Deputy Speaker Sardar Yaqoob or any member among the panel of chairmen could preside over the session.