ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: The combined opposition in the National Assembly on Sunday staged a walkout to protest against what they called the speaker’s continued “indifference” towards its demand that the detained ARD President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and PML-N member Abid Sher Ali be summoned in the house to participate in the constitutional amendment.

The MMA members supported the ARD’s demand but went straight to the opposition lobby from their benches for the walkout. The ARD members, on the other hand, gathered in front of the speaker and shouted slogans before walking out.

The speaker admitted that it was in his discretion to issue the production order but told the protesting ARD members to follow the example of the MMA members by joining them at the opposition lobby rather than protesting in front of him and creating a ‘new parliamentary tradition.’

After the opposition had walked out, the speaker asked Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan and Minister of State for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raza Hayat Hiraj to go and bring them back into the house.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former speaker Hamid Nasir Chattha also went out to persuade the opposition members to end their protest and participate in the process of amending the Constitution.

Later, when the opposition returned to the house PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan, on a point of order, told the MMA leadership that it was in a position to force the speaker to issue the production orders for Javed Hashmi and Abid Sher Ali as according to him the religious alliance now held the balance of power in the National Assembly.

Earlier, on a point of order, acting PML-N parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali asked for the speaker’s ruling, saying the house was not in order because two members of his party were not present.

There were precedence, he recalled, that even convicted persons were summoned to attend the house proceedings.

He said since the government intended to pass the 17th constitutional amendment bill tonight, therefore their presence was necessary so that both could also represent their respective constituencies.

“We do not want to destroy the congenial atmosphere but when our members are stopped on gunpoint from attending the assembly, then the only option left to us is to shout and enter into confrontation,” he said.

Being the custodian of the house, he said, the speaker should invoke Rule 90 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the House.

He reiterated the party’s position that it was “not begging for withdrawal of the fabricated cases,” which, he added, would be contested in court, but “we are just asking that their presence (in the house) be ensured.”

Dr Sher Afgan of the PPP Patriots said the house could only be regarded as not in order when it lacked quorum and since there was quorum in the house, Chaudhry Nisar’s point should be ruled out of order.