28 February 2005	Monday	18 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD Feb 27: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has submitted an adjournment motion and a privilege motion seeking debate on the controversial Aga Khan University Examination Board and president's remarks targeting religious schools.

The adjournment motion, moved by Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Laeeq Ahmed Khan, Dr Fareeda Ahmed, Aisha Kaneez Fatima, Asadullah Bhutto, Hafiz Salman Butt, Usman, Mohammad Hussain Mehnati, Dr Attaur Rahman and Fareed Ahmed Paracha, described the Aga Khan University Examination Board as extremely controversial entity in the country.

The motion says people all over the country are unanimous in protesting the vulgar questionnaire issued by the board recently. It said the questionnaire contained highly objectionable, immoral and obscene questions.

It said the questionnaire was opposed in every nook and corner of the country and hundreds of students staged a forceful demonstration outside the parliament house on February 25, demanding winding up of the said board. Since education was a provincial subject, people at large are extremely sensitive towards the board. Hence it should be debated upon in the house, it added.

Meanwhile, besides the movers of the adjournment motion, the MMA's privilege motion was signed by MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Secretary General Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Fazle Subhan, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Razia Aziz, Begum Jamila Ahmed, Sahibzada Haroon, Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, Maulana Nasib Ali, Mian Mohammad Aslam, Maulana Abdul Malik and Maulana Ahmed Ghafoor.

The six-party religious alliance through the privilege motion sought debate on "derogatory remarks" passed by Gen Musharraf in his interaction with the media. The motion said Gen Musharraf during the proceedings of his interaction slapped extremely serious allegations against Madressahs (religious schools) and also ridiculed those who disliked obscene scenes on electronic media.

The motion says it was a source of great concern for the whole nation that the head of an Islamic state would indulge himself in ridiculing Islamic tenants by ignoring the majority's voice.

Total deviation from religious and moral teachings in the name of enlightened moderation by the government had breached the rights of entire parliament and hence it should be debated and sent to the house privilege committee, the motion said.