23 October 2004	Saturday	08 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: The government on Friday condemned the opposition's behaviour in the National Assembly and said that 'rowdy acts' could provide an excuse to extra-constitutional forces to send parliamentarians home.

Talking to journalists in his parliamentary chamber after the defeat of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan said that the rowdy behaviour of the opposition as was witnessed in the house was unprecedented in the parliamentary history of the world.

Dr Afgan was talking to journalists in his chamber as he did not find an opportunity to speak on the floor of the house as under the rules of procedure only the movers of the no-confidence motion and the speaker against whom the motion was taken up, could make speeches with the permission of the presiding officer.

The minister said it was tragic that the opposition did not seem interested in running the affairs of the house. Dr Afgan said the attitude adopted by the opposition would provide a justification to extra-constitutional forces to act against politicians.

Referring to the tearing up of ballot papers by MMA leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, the minister said it was a criminal act. He said the opposition had tampered with the sanctity of the house by occupying places where officers were supposed to sit and conduct elections.

In response to a question as to why all movers of the no-trust move against the Speaker were not allowed to speak on the motion, the minister said the presiding officer, deputy speaker Sardar Yaqoob, was within his powers to dispose of the resolution as provided under the National Assembly's Rules of Procedure.

The minister said the deputy speaker followed the rules and adjourned the Assembly after the motion was disposed of. Defending the decision of the deputy speaker not to allow all 107 movers of the no-trust move to speak, the minister cited the precedence of Indian parliament.

Dr Afgan said that in Lok Sabha on Dec 18, 1954, only two hours' debate had been allowed in a no-trust motion against the speaker despite the fact that the House had 650 members.