05 September 2004	Sunday	19 Rajab 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: The first regular session of the National Assembly after election of Shaukat Aziz as the country's new prime minister will begin on Sept 10.

"President General Pervez Musharraf, in exercise of the powers, conferred by Clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution, has summoned the session of National Assembly on September 10 at 5pm," says a notification issued by the assembly secretariat here on Saturday.

Meanwhile, sources told Dawn that the opposition was planning to give a tough time to the government on the issue of 'big size' cabinet in the forthcoming National Assembly session. Besides this, the sources said, the opposition members had also decided to target Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain for showing 'partial attitude' during the last session of the assembly.

The opposition had boycotted the election of the prime minister when the speaker refused to issue production order of jailed ARD president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, who was a joint opposition candidate against Gen Musharraf's nominee Shaukat Aziz.

The sources said the opposition had decided to lodge a strong protest against the speaker in the next session.

They said a proposal to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker was also under consideration.

They said at present signatures of the opposition members were being obtained on the no-confidence motion.

When contacted, parliamentary secretary of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Izhar Amrohvi said it was true that signatures were being obtained on the no-trust motion against the speaker, but a final decision whether or not to submit the motion would be taken at a meeting of the heads of the component parties of the alliance in Lahore next week.

Responding to a question, Mr Amrohvi said that the motion could be submitted even during the session of the assembly.

He said the ARD had submitted two separate motions to discuss reports of 'rigging' in the recently held by-elections in Attock and Tharparkar.

He said the motions had been submitted under Rule 69 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 1992.

Mr Amrohvi said through the first motion, signed by Raja Pervez Ashraf and Sherry Rahman, the opposition had sought discussion on "ways and means to eradicate corruption, rigging and illegal activities in general elections and by-elections."

He said the second motion had been signed by Naheed Khan and Shagufta Jamani.

"We wish to raise a matter of public importance for discussion under Rule 69 that this house should consider the allegations and its remedies in the general elections and by-elections," said the motion.

The ARD parliamentary secretary said that an adjournment motion had been submittedseeking a debate on the reported incident in which the US and Afghan troops entered Pakistan on Wednesday.

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