12 April 2005	Tuesday	02 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 11: Law and Justice Minister Wasi Zafar and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNAs Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Liaquat Baloch almost came to blows in the advisory committee meeting presided over by National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain in his chamber on Monday. The minister was harsh on the floor of the house as well when he responded to leader of the opposition’s assertions about the Gujranwala incident by saying: “I am ready to respond in whatever tone you will use against me.”

In the presence of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, he even ignored the advice of NA Speaker and twice said that he would not be cowed down by what he called the “threatening attitude” of the opposition (MMA).

In the committee meeting, Speaker Hussain tried to defuse the situation by seeking apology from the aggrieved members but the meeting ended abruptly as opposition members walked out of it.

The trouble started when opposition members cited a statement by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan in which he had suggested that the president could send his written speech to the joint session of parliament to avoid last year’s pandemonium staged by the opposition.

Mr Baloch said that parliament was composed of the president, Senate and National Assembly and if parliament could be called bad, suggesting ineptness of its members, then the president cannot be absolved of similar charges.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that the religious parties’ alliance will raise the question of production order for detained MMA MNA Qazi Hamiduddin and PML-N’s Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. The parliamentary affairs minister opposed this.

Inside sources said that the MMA wanted to make it a point in the committee meeting that it will agitate the issue of arrest of its MNA Qazi Hamiduddin on the floor of the house but the minister, instead of listening, tried to leave the venue.

The MMA members asked the minister to listen to their point of view before leaving but the latter said: “I know what you people are going to discuss further”.