ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: The parliamentary opposition rejected on Saturday President Pervez Musharraf's address to the joint session of parliament, saying he had no legal locus standi to claim himself as president as his election had not been held in accordance with the provisions of the 1973 Constitution.

Speaking at a joint press conference after staging a protest during President Musharraf's address, opposition leaders said the 17th amendment was in fact made to the LFO-inclusive constitution and therefore needed to be repealed forthwith.

ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said the opposition would continue its struggle for the revival of true democracy and restoration of the 1973 Constitution in its original shape both inside and outside parliament.

Mr Fahim said since the day one the opposition had been of the view that the Constitution could not be amended by an individual and even the Supreme Court was not competent to grant such powers to an individual.

He said the government had got the 17th amendment passed under the umbrella of the army and the presidential election was in clear violation of the constitutional provisions.

The ARD chief maintained that the opposition did not accept the LFO and it would continue its struggle against it and would annul it whenever it found itself in a position to do so.

He said the president's address was made possible by keeping two important leaders - Javed Hashmi and Asif Ali Zardari - behind the bars and by stopping a number of opposition MNAs and senators from reaching parliament.

Speaking on the occasion, acting president of PML-N Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said a new parliamentary history had been made as a serving COAS addressed an elected parliament.

He said it was a clear proof that sham democracy in the garb of military uniform had been imposed on the country.

Chaudhry Nisar said by staging a forceful protest during the joint session, the opposition had made it clear that it would not allow the dictator a free hand. He said it was regrettable that the sanctity of the joint session was violated by holding it on a 24-hour notice, thereby keeping a good number of members away.

He said the joint session was held at a time when a large number of parliamentarians were abroad and to make sure that the protest would remain under control the government diverted a number of flights bringing opposition members to the capital from Lahore and Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan said all those who wanted to see Pakistan adopt the democratic path should record their protest against the flagrant violation of the sanctity of parliament by the very people who kept claiming that they were trying to usher in 'genuine' democracy.

He said every military dictator after assuming power at gun-point got indemnity the way Gen Musharraf had achieved, but what had finally resulted from 'these antics' could not be called parliamentary democracy.

Mr Khan said: "I was ashamed to see the elected Prime Minister Jamali twice going out of parliament to pay his respects to a general."

PML-N parliamentary leader in the Senate Ishaq Dar condemned the way MNAs Tehmina Daultana and Khurshid Shah were kept away from the session whose flights were first delayed and then diverted to other cities.

ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan warned that reaction against the passage of the 17th amendment would be very severe which could even be detrimental to the solidarity of the federation.

He said his party did not accept Gen Musharraf as an elected president since his election had not been held in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Constitution, hence he had no legal right to address the joint session.

Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mehmud Khan Achakzai said Pakistan was passing through a most dangerous phase of its history and claimed that martial law had been clamped in the country through an elected parliament.

He said the most regrettable thing in this entire scenario was that an elected parliament had been coerced to give indemnity to non-democratic actions of a dictator unlike the past practices wherein such indemnities had either been given by some hand-picked people or by a non-party assembly.

PPP Parliamentarians parliamentary leader in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said the people of Pakistan today saw who were on the side of a dictator and who had challenged him.