ISLAMABAD, June 17: The opposition parties have announced that they would jointly hold peaceful protest demonstrations throughout the country over the next three days to condemn the murder of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) activist Munawwar Suharwardy in Karachi.

This was announced by PPP president Makhdoom Amin Fahim at a news conference along with over 50 opposition members of the National Assembly and the Senate here on Thursday.

Soon after staging walkouts from both the houses, all the opposition members, including the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and nationalist parties of the NWFP and Balochistan, gathered at a committee room in Parliament House and announced that they would completely boycott the evening proceedings. All the members were wearing black arm bands.

Mr Fahim said the murder of Munawwar Suharwardy would have far reaching and grave implications on the country's political scenario.He said it seemed that no government existed in Sindh. He said Suharwardy sacrificed his life for the cause of democracy.

Mr Fahim, who is also chairman of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), said the next plan of protest would be announced after consultation with other opposition parties. Prof Ghafoor Ahmed of the MMA said Suharwardy's death was not a loss for the PPP, but for all the parties.