15 October 2004	Friday	29 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: Opposition parties protested outside parliament on Thursday and vowed to launch a movement against President Pervez Musharraf after the National Assembly passed a bill allowing him to remain army chief beyond December 31.

However, the unity they had demonstrated in the house while protesting against what they called the bulldozing of bill by the ruling coalition, appeared to be lacking. They were seen divided into groups and spoke to reporters separately.

While PPP chief whip Khurshid Ahmed Shah said the ARD parliamentary leadership would meet in the PPP office on Thursday evening to chalk out a strategy for the movement, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of the MMA said a combined meeting of the ARD and MMA had been convened at 9am on Friday before the resumption of the NA session.

And instead of going to the parliament house cafeteria to hold a joint news conference, the opposition leadership got scattered inside the building with smaller groups going out to the front gate of the Parliament House for the demonstration.

The protesting MPs chanted "go Musharraf go" "go speaker go", and other slogans. They blocked the main gate for some time. PML-N acting parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said it was a 'defining moment' as the opposition had decided to launch a 'do-or-die' movement till the ouster of what he called 'militarized democracy'.

He said it was shameful for the treasury benches to thump their desks in celebration after surrendering the civilian authority to a 'dictator'. MMA deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said there was no justification for the speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, to preside over the house proceedings after the opposition had submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against him to the assembly secretary.

PPP leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the speaker was bound by democratic conventions to leave the chair as soon he had been informed about a no-confidence notice having been delivered to his staff. He said convention required the speaker to leave the chair and ask Deputy Speaker Sardar Mohammad Yaqub to preside over the session.