ISLAMABAD, Oct 6: The combined opposition in the National Assembly has condemned the killing of MNA Maulana Azam Tariq along with his four bodyguards and held President Gen Pervez Musharraf responsible for what they said was a serious breakdown in the law and order.

It demanded immediate resignation by the government and particularly interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, sacking of top officials of the law-enforcement agencies who they said miserably failed to provide foolproof security to the people.

Speaking at a joint news conference after the adjournment of the NA immediately after the announcement by the Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat in the House that Maulana Azam Tariq had been killed, MMA and ARD parliamentary leaders demanded immediate arrest of the murderers and making public the circumstances in which the incident took place.

The Opposition leaders said that the interior minister remained unaware till Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain sought information through his own sources before the start of the NA proceedings whereas the minister they tried till the last to convince the members that Maulana Azam Tariq was not in the vehicle which was attacked.

Parliamentary leader of PML-N and ARD Javed Hashmi said putting the responsibility on one individual or an agency was not possible as the entire government was responsible and it should step down accepting its failure to protect lives of the people.

He termed the incident a failure to the central government which was solely responsible for the maintenance of the law and order in the federal capital.

MMA Deputy Secretary-General Liaquat Baloch said the murder of a fellow MNA was extremely condemnable and shocking for all parliamentary groups in the National Assembly which appears to be the result of a conspiracy aimed at creating chaos, sectarian disharmony and anarchy in the country.

PPP secretary-general Raja Parvez Ashraf said: “This tragic incident has proved that the government has no writ and it has failed to protect life, honour and property of the people.”

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, MMA’s deputy parliamentary party leader, said the government had failed to protect lives of to its own people.