ISLAMABAD, July 5: The 1977 military takeover was remembered in the Senate on Monday with strong sentiments voiced by several opponents and a defender of late Gen Mohammad Ziaul Haq's action.

The opposition raised the issue to mark the 27th anniversary of the July 5, 1977, army coup. Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Raza Rabbani initiated the discussion at the start of the house's sitting in the evening, calling the coup "the darkest day" in the country's history.

He blamed "agents of international imperialism" for toppling an elected government, imposing what turned out to be the longest military rule in the country for 11 years and committing the "judicial murder" of an elected prime minister.

"We should remember our history," Mr Rabbani said while speaking on a point of order and described the present set-up in the country as a manifestation of the "same imperialism".

There was no immediate response from the treasury benches as some senators from both the ruling coalition and opposition raised other issues through points of order. But the challenge was belatedly taken up by Senator Kamil Ali Agha of the Pakistan Muslim League from Punjab who said the coup had ended "an unparalleled dark period".

Mr Agha, whose remarked drew shouts of protest from the opposition, said Mr Bhutto's government was marked by "a storm of political victimization". He referred to murders of a Jamaat-i-Islami leader, Dr Nazir Ahmed, in Dera Ghazi Khan and PML leader Khwaja Mohammad Rafiq and Sardar Mohammad Ahmad Khan in Lahore.

While several opposition senators shouted condemnation of Gen Zia's rule, ignoring calls for calm from acting chairman Khalilur Rehman, there was no support for Mr Agha from the treasury benches.

Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali, whose father Abdul Wali Khan was jailed during Mr Bhutto's government, denounced Gen Zia's rule and said: "Even the worst democracy is better than martial law."

Food and Agriculture Minister Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind assured the house that the government would send 150,000 tons of wheat to Balochistan to tide over reported shortages there immediately after the first shipment of planned imports of 500,000 tons arrived.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Raza Hayat Hiraj assured the house that the government would ensure protection of two doctors from Sindh - Dr Ghulam Mustafa Solangi and his wife Dr Amnat Solangi - in the face of reported honour killing threats to them.