07 September 2004	Tuesday	21 Rajab 1425

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LAHORE, Sept 6: The opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Monday demanded suo motu action against Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi on high treason charges for "inciting Gen Musharraf to violate the constitution."

Its members said the CM's appeal to Gen Musharraf not to take off his uniform for another five years was tantamount to sabotaging the basic law that barred state functionaries from holding any public office.

PPP's Rana Aftab urged the deputy speaker, holding chair at that time, that being custodian of the house he should initiate action against the leader of the house. He said they would not only hold press conferences, but also move the court of law on the issue.

Law minister Raja Basharat said the chief minister had given the statement as provincial chief of a political party. He said the house would also pass a resolution to urge Gen Musharraf not to take off his uniform. Being a majority party in the house, he argued, they had the right to run it according to their desires instead of dictations by the opposition.

He said the Senate, the National Assembly and all other provincial assemblies would also pass resolutions to this effect. He assured the house that the issue would be handled keeping in view all legal and constitutional norms.

PPP's Samiullah Khan argued that politically and morally provincial leader of a party did not have the right to give his dictations to parliament and other provincial assemblies.

He said when the dictator (Gen Musharraf) himself had promised the nation at the time of PML-MMA agreement on the 17th amendment that he would take off his uniform no one else had the right to urge him to go against it.

MMA's Ehsanullah Waqas regretted that the government was accepting the 17th amendment on age of higher judges, but violating it on the uniform issue. He opposed bringing a resolution in the house on the issue.