August 23, 2003	Saturday	Jumadi-us-Sani 24, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Raza Hayat Hiraj on Friday rejected an opposition demand for apology for allegedly misbehaving with a PPP woman member of the National Assembly and said in fact he was insulted by the other side.

“I will not tender apology rather the one who used abusive language should apologize,” he demanded.

He told a news conference that he would move a written complaint before the National Assembly after going through the rules of the House because whatever PPP MNA Nahid Khan had uttered constitutes breach of the privilege of the entire House.

Mr Hiraj was flanked by MNAs Dr Sher Afgan, Major Syed Tanvir Hussain, Chaudhry Wasi Zafar, Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, Sardar Faiz Taman, Chaudhry Imranullah and Malik Zahir Abbas Khokhar at the news conference in his office.

“It was one of the most unfortunate incidents in the parliamentary history of Pakistan,” Mr Hiraj said adding that in the august House where the names of Allah Almighty were inscribed all around, we should be careful with our language and behaviour.”

Dr Afgan also denied that he had used any unparliamentary or obscene gestures with his hands and explained that Ms Khan was fabricating allegations against him to settle old scores as he had written a letter to Benazir Bhutto inviting her attention towards alleged corruption of Nahid Khan. The same letter was also sent to Amin Fahim. When Prime Minister Jamali had come to condole the death of his son, Ms Bhutto called 11 times from Dubai because she was perturbed over the nature of the allegations.