LAHORE, June 8: The combined opposition staged a 'token' walkout in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday to protest what it described as victimization of a member from Burewala.

On a privilege motion, Rana Sanaullah, deputy leader of the opposition, claimed that Dr Nazir Mithu, an MPA from Burewala, had been arrested thrice during the last one month and was being pressured into changing loyalties.

Dr Nazir was arrested by local police a month ago, but the Lahore High Court set him free for lack of evidence. He was detained the same evening on the orders of the chief secretary, who, the Rana alleged, was pressed by the chief minister into doing so.

The matter was taken up in the house and the detention orders were withdrawn within four days. But the MPA was again detained within three days of his release. Neither the house nor the speaker was informed about his arrest, which constituted a breach of privilege.

All this was being done to please a rival local politician who had recently shifted his loyalties from the PML-N to the PML-Q. This is victimization of the worst form. It is also unbecoming of a government that hardly ever tires of claiming that it has brought decency to politics, he said.

The PML-N leader used some derogatory words during his charged speech which led to an uproar in the house and provoked the speaker into admonishing the members and stressing tolerance to improve the political culture.

The opposition, however, continued to press the point that the government was trying to change loyalties of MPAs by using state sources. Since the law minister was not attending the house, the privilege motion was kept pending for the next session. But the combined opposition staged a walkout to protest the official pressure on the MPAs and alleged use of torture by police. "The return of the law minister would only help clear the confusion as to whether it was a breach of privilege or not," claimed Rana Sana, adding that it would also stop the use of torture against the MP.

The walkout, he said, was aimed at protesting the manner in which the government was dealing with legislators. The controversy surrounding appointments in the excise and taxation department also reverberated in the house on Tuesday as the opposition demanded the formation of a committee to look into the allegation.

The deputy speaker, who was presiding over the session, refused to oblige it saying that the matter was in the notice of the speaker and it was up to him to take a decision in this regard.

The controversy has been rocking the PA for the last many days. Though the minister has denied any wrongdoing, the parliamentary secretary claimed that corruption did take place in the matter of appointments.

On Monday, another parliamentary secretary, Malik Ahmad Khan, demanded speaker's ruling on contradictory claims of the minister and the secretary and asked which claim should be treated as official policy. The deputy speaker, who was presiding over the session, refused to give a ruling in the matter.