QUETTA, June 29: The Deputy Speaker of Balochistan Assembly, Mr Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, has criticized the opposition leader for threatening to 'break his legs'.

Talking to newsmen in his chamber, he said that the opposition leader could not force him to give a ruling according to his wishes.

"The opposition leader threatened that he would break my legs because of my ruling on his privilege motion pertaining to establishing new army cantonments in Balochistan," Mr Bhootani said.

He alleged that the opposition leader also used highly objectionable language against him in a press conference. "I am not afraid of such threats," the deputy speaker said.

Mr Bhootani rejected the allegation by the opposition leader that he (Mr Bhootani) had given the ruling against his privilege motion on the directive of an army officer and an agency. He said that all these allegations were wrong and baseless.

He said that he never sought any kind of advice or directive from any agency or army official as custodian of the house he knew the status and respect of the assembly. "It is an independent, sovereign and democratic institution, which could not be run through any advice or directive from outside," the deputy speaker said.

He said that he had disposed of the privilege motion of the opposition leader, Kachkol Ali, on merit. The deputy speaker said that it was the house that had rejected the privilege motion, and he had merely announced the decision of the majority.

He advised the opposition to adopt democratic attitude and not to try to impose their will on the house. Mr Bhootani said that by using filthy language the opposition leader breached the privilege of the entire house.