08 October 2004	Friday	22 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD Oct 7: Opposition groups in the National Assembly are expected to jointly condemn the Sialkot and Multan terrorist acts when the lower house meets today (Friday) in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to table the controversial draft act of parliament in the NA session to allow president Gen Pervez Musharraf retain his COAS' office beyond Dec 31, sources said.

The opposition was not allowed a debate on the issue during the previous session after speaker ruled it out of order. Both the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal have submitted fresh adjournment motions to debate the issue, also on the deteriorating law and order situation because of the latest series of terrorist acts.

Meanwhile, all major coalitions, including ruling coalition, the ARD and the MMA, have summoned their parliamentary party meetings to chalk out their strategies before the start of the house proceedings.

The government side, which faced frequent quorum problems during the previous session, has addressed and discussed the issue over the last few days. Prime minister Shaukat Aziz, PML's president Chaudhry Shujaat and President Musharraf have taken notice of the situation and suggested corrective measures.

The issue of the president's uniform would be fiercely debated by the fragmented opposition after both the ARD and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal failed to reach a consensus on tackling the issue.

Parliamentary Affairs Mnister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi said on Thursday that the proposed act of parliament was in the preparatory stage in the ministry of law, and expressed the hope that it would be tabled and passed by the current session of lower house.

He said that an act of parliament was being contemplated as a precaution since the 17th Amendment had not barred president from simultaneously retaining the COAS' office.

Mr Niazi said that the government had decided to move a motion under Article 241 of rules of procedure and conduct of business to allow both the treasury and opposition benches to vent their sentiments about recent terrorism acts.

The move, he said, was being initiated because opposition's adjournment motions on the law and order could not be entertained because of its being a provincial subject.

Meanwhile, PPP Parliamentarians' spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the ARD would oppose any move which legitimized the president's uniform but it would not in any way join the MMA's campaign.

He said that the ARD was clear in its stand that the MMA should first apologize for extending cooperation to the government on passing the 17th Amendment and promise that it would not cooperate in a similar way with the government in future before both the alliances joined hands in any movement.

Liaqat Baloch, deputy secretary-general of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was, however, confident that there would be a unanimity of views between both the alliances. He said that, like before, both alliances would jointly oppose the government's moves.