KARACHI, Sept 22: The opposition in the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday reacted angrily to the government's move of passing a resolution on President Musharraf's uniform in a 'hush-hush manner' , and described it as a 'serious blow' to the democratic dispensation as well as the foundations of the republic.

The resolution urges President Musharraf to retain his military post. Soon after the assembly adopted the resolution, opposition members, wearing black arm-bands and raising slogans, staged a sit-in on the steps of the assembly building's main entrance.

They were chanted slogans against Gen Musharraf and military's involvement in politics. "The cat is out of the bag. Those who have been accusing the opposition of playing second fiddle to the military or being offshoot of its rule have shown their true colours. They have finally shown where their locality is... and it is surely not with the democratic dispensation but with the usurpers," various opposition leaders said.

Addressing a news conference later, senior PPP-P leader Syed Qaim Ali Shah deplored that just to perpetuate the one-man rule and thereby entrenching the cluster of military rule more deeply, the coalition had moved this resolution which, he said, was against the Constitution and law.

"How can they claim to be champions of democracy when they have supported the continuation of military's intervention until someone else's agenda was implemented," asked Mr Shah.

His contention was that the provincial assembly was not competent to pass such resolution because "conduct of president, governor and judiciary cannot be brought under discussion in this house."

He claimed that the resolution was also hit by Articles 41, 43, 44 and 63 of the Constitution. Article 40 spelt out the qualification for the election of the president. According to the Article 43, the President shall not hold any office of profit in the service of Pakistan or occupy any other position carrying the right to remuneration for the rendering of services.

The PPP-Sindh chief said that the opposition had not been allowed to present its point of view. He pointed out under the 1973 Constitution, "a government servant cannot hold that office of the President."

He indicated that the member who had presented the resolution had cited Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq who, according to Mr Shah, had not done any good to the country. "Unfortunately such things are being said by those who had burnt Pakistan's flag and had made slanderous and questionable remarks against the Quaid-i-Azam," said Qaim Ali Shah.

His declared that it was a 'black day' for the Sindh assembly which had passed the Pakistan Resolution. Responding to a question, he said that measures were being taken to strengthen cooperation between the ARD and MMA. The whole country was against the military intervention, he said.

The newsmen asked MMA's parliamentary leader Maulana Umar Sadiq to explain the alliance's position as it had been instrumental in supporting the LFO and 17th amendment.

He replied the agreement between the ruling party and MMA provided that General Musharraf would have to give up his military post by Dec 31 this year. "If he keeps this part of the bargain, then the MMA will also honour its commitment, otherwise the MMA would launch a massive movement, possibly in collaboration with the ARD.

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmad Khuhro has described the government's move to get the resolution in support of Gen Musharraf's uniform as 'a diabolical conspiracy' against the Constitution, democracy and parliamentary dispensation.