ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: Rivals made a temporary peace in the Senate on Friday to mourn Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani’s death, that has deprived the opposition of a second top figure in about two-and-a-half months.

As agreed by the treasury and opposition benches, the house adjourned for two days without conducting any business after passing a joint resolution paying tribute to the MMA chief and praying for his soul.

The house met for a few minutes without the usual noisy opposition protests against the Legal Framework Order and counter-attacks by the ruling coalition.

The resolution, signed by all political groups in the chamber, of which Maulana Noorani was a member as the MMA’s parliamentary leader, voiced “profound grief and shock” of the house at his death and praised his “distinguished role” as a politician and an Islamic missionary.

Moved by Chaudhry Mohammad Anwar Bhinder of the Pakistan Muslim League and adopted unanimously by a sparsely attended house, the resolution said Maulana Noorani’s services to the country and Islam would be long remembered and described his death as an irreparable loss to the Senate.

The MMA leader’s death came 11 weeks after Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, head of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, died on Sept 26.

Maulana Noorani was here for the Senate session that began on Dec 5, when he suffered a heart attack on Thursday, shortly before he was due to address a joint opposition news conference.

His alliance has given the government up to Dec 17 to bring a constitutional amendment bill to parliament to settle the LFO crisis or face an agitation.

Before adjourning the session, Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro agreed with the opposition’s suggestion to allow leaders of the parliamentary groups to pay tribute to Maulana Noorani when the house meets on Monday.

The opposition parties held a condolence meeting where they paid tribute to Maulana Noorani’s role in “the struggle for the establishment of democracy and against dictatorship,” a statement said.

It said a resolution adopted at the meeting described his role in the present political crisis and for the restoration of the Constitution and supremacy of parliament as “a beacon light for Pakistan’s political future.”

#OPPOSITION LEADER:# Maulana Noorani was the MMA’s nominee for the position of opposition leader in the Senate and his death has sparked speculations about who could be the next candidate for this as well as the leadership of the alliance.