19 October 2004	Tuesday	04 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has hinted that treasury members will abstain from voting on the opposition's no-confidence motion against the speaker of the National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters in his Parliament House chamber here on Monday, the minister said that no member from the treasury benches would take part in voting.

"The no-trust motion has been moved by opposition members, and it is their responsibility to make it successful by getting 172 members for voting," the minister said. The motion will be taken up in the assembly on Friday.

Sheikh Rashid said that by submitting a no-confidence motion against the speaker for the second time, the opposition had made a mockery of parliamentary rules and laws. He praised the speaker for being patient with the opposition and not taking any action against 'unruly' members. He was confident that the opposition would be defeated.

The minister said the opposition members had been attending the assembly sessions only to raise slogans and disrupt the proceedings. "Those who come to the assembly only to raise slogans and boycott the proceedings have no right to draw Rs3, 500 daily allowance," he said.

He particularly lashed out at the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), saying that the party had always worked for creating unrest in the country. "The JI is the only party responsible for political instability in the country," he added.

"Those who accepted the uniform of Gen Ziaul Haq for 11 years, are today raising a hue and cry over Gen Musharraf's uniform," the minister said. He asked the opposition to accept the bill on Gen Musharraf's uniform if it believed in the supremacy of parliament.

He said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) whose government which had disappointed the people of the NWFP, was trying to restore its 'lost credibility' by joining hands with the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Pakistan Muslim League-N.

The minister challenged the opposition to resign from parliament. If they resigned, he said, the government would hold by-elections in accordance with law.

He said the assembly secretariat had not received the resignation of Dr Tahirul Qadri. In reply to a question, the minister admitted that the people faced the problem of rising prices, and said that the government had taken serious notice of it. Provincial governments are being directed to take necessary steps to provide at least four essential items- flour, sugar, ghee and edible oil- at affordable rates.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the parliamentary group of the ARD will be held at the Central Secretariat of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Thursday to finalize the strategy for the National Assembly's Friday session.