ISLAMABAD, March 8: Secretary-General of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has said that it is the right of the religious parties alliance to get the office of leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

Talking to reporters at parliament house after adjournment of the National Assembly session here on Monday, he said the MMA was the second largest parliamentary group in the assembly.

When asked why MMA's speaker in the NWFP Assembly had appointed an independent as leader of the opposition, he said it was a wrong decision. Maulana Fazl said the speaker had used his discretionary powers and appointed an independent member as the opposition leader. "We also protested against it," he added. However, he added, the speaker had the powers to do so.

He asked National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain to take a similar step in the Centre. "At least, the NWFP speaker did not wait for any telephone call before making a decision," he said.

Condemning the killing of over 40 people in Quetta on Youm-i-Ashur, he said terrorists attacks in Quetta and Iraq had similarities. The MMA leader said some administrative changes should be brought about in Balochistan after this incident.

"When officials are replaced in the NWFP without consulting the provincial government for no reason, then why there should not be changes in Balochistan after this incident," he added. Maulana Fazl said there could be a foreign hand involved in the Quetta carnage.