02 January 2004	Friday	09 Ziqa'ad 1424

PESHAWAR, Jan 1: The fragile opposition bloc in the NWFP Assembly experienced a split when its component parliamentary groups stood poles apart during the presidential vote of confidence here on Thursday.

The joint opposition was led by MPA Shahzada Gustasip from the Hazara region. The special session, presided over by Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court Justice Mian Shakir Ullah Jan, last for about one-and-half-hour.

The 10-member parliamentary group of the People's Party Parliamentarians, seven-member group of the ANP and five-member group of the PML-N abstained from casting their votes.

Whereas, other two major components of the opposition bloc, that is 13-member PPP (Sherpao group) and 10-member PML-Q reposed confidence in President Musharraf by casting their votes in his support. While, four out of six independent MPAs also supported the resolution in support of President Musharraf.

Despite failing to display unity over the question of presidential vote of confidence, leaders of parliamentary groups adopted a careful approach towards each other. "Though we form the combined opposition, each one of us [groups] has a separate stand on different issues," said Abdul Akbar, parliamentary leader of the PPP.

Talking to reporters he said the joint opposition was united despite standing divided over the Presidential vote of confidence. Leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly Shahzada Gustasip said that the opposition parties who abstained from the voting had taken him into confidence claiming that the Thursday's voting pattern would not harm the opposition bloc's unity.

Parliamentary leaders of the ANP, the PML-N and the PPP in their separate press talks said that they did not take part in the voting to register their protest against the manner in which the 17th amendment was made part of the Constitution. They accused the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal of providing an opportunity to President Musharraf to seek vote of confidence.

Despite abstaining from their right to vote, the MMA MPAs' presence in the Assembly ensured holding of the session, they said, adding that if they had not taken part in the proceedings the PA could not hold session due to lack of quorum.

Parliamentary leaders of the ANP, the PPP and the PML-N rejected that there was no difference between the MMA and them after they, too, abstained from casting vote against the President.

They also reiterated that the Thursday's presidential vote of confidence was ultra-constitutional and without lawful authority because, they added, the constitution did not provide for the president to take vote of confidence.