10 October 2004	Sunday	24 Shaban 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has decided to call for a public debate on the pro-uniform bill moved by the government on Friday in the National Assembly.

Eight ARD members have signed an amendment to the bill seeking that "the bill be circulated for the purpose of eliciting public opinion," sources told Dawn on Saturday.

The signatories are Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Mehreen Anwar Raja, Khwaja Asif and Tehmina Daultana.

ARD's parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi has been directed to submit the amendment to the National Assembly secretariat on Monday morning.

The ARD members have prepared another amendment to seek public debate on the bill after its approval by the National Assembly's Standing Committee, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a senior ARD office-bearer told Dawn that the opposition members could not put up strong resistance at the time the bill was tabled in the National Assembly by Law Minister Wasi Zafar due to shortage of members.

He said it was agreed at the parliamentary meeting of the alliance before the start of the assembly session that members would use different tactics to delay the presentation of the bill. Under the strategy the opposition members asked the speaker to allow them to speak on several adjournment motions on law and order.

He said the members were of the view that due to shortage of members they would not be able to lodge a strong protest and they could face an embarrassing situation.

PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto was informed about the whole situation and she took strong note of the absence of members from an important session of the National Assembly.

He said the opposition would fully participate in the debate on the bill.