ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: A citizen moved a reference to the National Assembly speaker on Friday, seeking disqualification of three senior Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal legislators for allegedly defaming the armed forces by criticizing President General Pervez Musharraf's uniform.

Awami Himayat Tehrik Party chairman Maulvi Syed Iqbal Haider filed the reference under Article 63(2)(3) of the constitution against Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed.

The mover has urged the speaker to forward the reference to the chief election commissioner immediately for 'necessary action'. He alleged that the respondents were propagating divergent opinions and acting in a manner prejudicial to the ideology, sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan. Defaming or insulting the head of any force amounted to insulting the armed forces, he said.

According to the reference which the speaker's office received on Friday, the respondents have been manipulating the uniform issue and trying to pitch people against the army chief.

They even had threatened to launch a PNA-like movement. It said that the leader of opposition was even avoiding his constitutional obligation by not attending meetings of the National Security Council.

Maulvi Hadier called for disqualification of these members as they were damaging the interest of the country through their anti-uniform stance at a time when the democratic set-up was in place, assemblies were functioning, Pakistan's membership of the Commonwealth had been restored, it had become a non-NATO ally and the country had been enjoying the status of a frontline state in the US-led war against terrorism.