Opposition demands secret ballot for no-confidence vote
By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The government had asked its MNAs to abstain in 'secret ballot' in the no-confidence motion against the speaker to avoid the embarrassment of a defeat
, claimed the combined opposition in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Speaking at a joint news conference at the Parliament House cafeteria after an en bloc boycott of the house proceedings on Thursday, the combined opposition dismissed as wishful thinking reports of a rift in the ranks of opposition over a joint struggle against army's dominance over parliamentary system.
Liaquat Baloch of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said: "We demand that all the members of lower house be afforded a chance to participate in secret ballot on the no-trust motion against the Speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, so that they can express their free will."
He regretted that while the deputy speaker had not contacted the opposition so far to discuss the procedure to be adopted for the no-trust motion, the government had already asked its MNAs to abstain from taking part in the process.
He said that the three-member ministerial team, including Sheikh Rashid and Liaquat Jatoi, had contacted the opposition leadership for initiating reconciliatory talks but it had been made clear to them that they would have to first withdraw the controversial bill on the uniform.
He asked the committee to negotiate with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Qazi Hussain, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan if the government wanted that its point of view was discussed in the respective parliamentary party meetings of the opposition.
The MMA leader also criticized the government for keeping silent over its promise of getting the 7th wage board award of working journalists implemented, and demanded immediate action in this regard. He said the government had promised to present in the house the report about the cabinet's decision but it had not been done.
Raja Parvaiz Ashraf of the People's Party Parliamentarians said the parliamentary traditions had been by-passed and the bill on uniform was bulldozed without completion of the first reading on it.
He alleged that the speaker had acted on whatever dictation he had been given from above and thus had become a disputed personality.
The attitude of speaker on the day of the passage of the bill was objectionable, he said, adding that the passage of the bill was a complete negation of democracy and a crude joke with 150 million people.
He said the government must ensure that all members cast their vote for and against the no-trust motion and if it was not done it will be deemed as an act against the Constitution and rules.
He claimed that a large number of treasury members were ready to vote against speaker if they were afforded the free chance to cast their vote and the opposition was sure the government would not take risk and abstain.
Mr Ashraf said 150 million people of Pakistan condemned a president-in-uniform and all the democratic forces had joined hands on a one-point agenda to remove this government and put in its place a truly elected government.
Shah Mehmud Qureshi also from the Parliamentarians quashed the false impression that was being created about the unity and unanimity of the grand opposition on a joint struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country.
He spoke of a complete unanimity of views among the member parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy on a joint struggle as they had discussed it thoroughly among themselves.
He alleged that the military-led regime had turned the parliament rudderless and voiceless and, hence, the opposition was ready to go back to the people to explain the wrongdoings of the government in all spheres of the national life.
Ms Tehmina Daultana of the Pakistan Muslim League-N accused General Musharraf of obeying every order given by the US. Rauf Mengal of the Balochistan National Party said the government forces foresaw a clear defeat on no-trust vote.
He said no speaker in the past was so obedient to the sitting regime than the incumbent and, thus, had become first speaker in the national history against whom second no-trust was moved.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of the MMA said that the speaker had to take fresh vote of trust from at least 172 members after the opposition had moved a no-trust motion against him and to determine that he enjoyed the support. This, he added, could only be gauged through a secret ballot.
He claimed that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had accepted his failure in his meeting with Gen Musharraf that he was unable to produce sufficient treasury members to complete quorum.
The president, he said, was coerced into asking the chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh to extend their cooperation in this respect.
He said if the vote on no-trust through secret ballot was not adopted it would prove opposition's success.
He claimed that the dissident treasury members were holding their separate meetings to chalk out a strategy to express their disenchantment with the regime's policies.
