ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The two main opposition alliances continued their noisy protest against the Legal Framework Order (LFO) in the National Assembly which resumed its session on Monday evening after a two-day recess.

Both the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) said they would continue their protest until the government agreed to bring the LFO in parliament for approval rather than insisting it was part of the Constitution.

Spokesmen for both the alliances said differences over a possible deal the MMA was seeking to make in its talks with the government would not hit the unity of the two alliances on a one-point agenda that presidential decrees forming the LFO could not become part of the Constitution unless approved by both houses of parliament.

In the midst of the opposition’s shouting and desk-thumping after the house met in the evening, some members of the treasury benches launched scathing attacks for alleged corruption against exiled former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif and some sitting opposition leaders in the lower house.

The move triggered a walkout by opposition parties against what they described as a government attempt to provoke them.

Members from some of the parties in the ruling coalition used points of order to accuse anti-government politicians of making money in kickbacks.

Their demands ranged from a return of what they called millions of dollars in illegal money allegedly deposited by Ms Bhutto in Swiss banks to an account of millions of rupees allegedly given to politicians to oppose the Pakistan People’s Party in the 1988 elections and to Jamaat-i-Islami for helping mujahideen fighting the Indian rule in Kashmir.

“They are using this forum to divide the nation and for mud-slinging oppositions leaders,” ARD parliamentary leader Javed Hashmi told reporters.

“But we will not be provoked,” he said about the latest in a recent series of moves by the treasury benches to attack opposition politicians, mainly by smaller groups allied to the ruling PML-Q such as PPP-Patriots and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

The MMA practically parted company with the combined opposition in July by initiating talks with the government to settle the LFO issue, while the ARD, which comprises the People’s Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-N, and their smaller allies, had boycotted the parleys.

The schism has resurfaced after a meeting of the government and MMA negotiators on Saturday finalized recommendations for an LFO settlement plan to be discussed by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali with leaders of all parliamentary parties. But the two alliances seem to be avoiding a formal split.

“We appeal to MMA to take note of the government’s non-seriousness...as demonstrated by (PML-Q president) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s statement the LFO was already a settled issue,” Mr Hashmi said.

MMA spokesman Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said his alliance would remain open to ARD arguments even after a constitutional package was brought to parliament and would take other opposition parties into confidence if Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali did not invite them to planned talks.

The opposition members began thumping their desks and chanting “go Musharraf go” and “no LFO no” immediately after the recitation from the holy Quran at the start of the session, which began late by 45 minutes under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Sardar Mohammad Yaqub.

At least five ruling coalition members demanded that something should be done to bring back about $12 million deposited by Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari in Swiss banks.

They included minority member Mushtaq Victor (PPP-Patriots), Ali Asjid Malhi (PML-Q), Dr Farooq Sattar (MQM) and Wasi Zafar (PML-Q).

Parliamentary leader of People’s Party Patriots Sher Afgan Niazi said the government must table in the house a list of recipients of Rs14 crore allegedly taken out of a nationalised bank and given to politicians to fight the 1988 elections against the PPP.

He also sought an account of Rs14 crore allegedly given to Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed in the 1990s by the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to help the Kashmir jihad.

While Mr Wasi Zafar was explaining legal aspects of the Swiss sentence for alleged money-laundering, the house was adjourned until 11am on Tuesday.