June 15, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 14: The combined opposition in Senate on Wednesday staged a token walkout and then boycotted proceedings after the question hour in protest against what they called insulting attitude of Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi towards the chair.

The minister, ignoring the chair’s announcement of extending the question hour by 10 minutes, refused to answer a question concerning his portfolio at the fag-end of the question hour.

Acting Senate Chairman Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali, when saw the opposition not returning to the house, adjourned the proceedings till Thursday.

The opposition announced not to attend the house proceedings till the minister tendered apology to the acting chairman for misbehaviour or he was punished by the chair under the rules.

Dr Niazi, who is famous for creating controversies and has done so more then once in the National Assembly, remained adamant and refused to budge.

It all started when the minister, who is holding the additional charge of planning and development, refused to reply a question at the fag-end of the question hour, saying the one hour time was over and he was not bound to respond to questions.

The leader of the opposition, Mian Raza Rabbani, expressed his dismay over the attitude of the minister and said it was an insult of the chair.

“We condemn this attitude of the minister as he has challenged the authority of the chair, either he should tender apology to the chairman and the entire house or we will stage a token walkout,” he said.

Chaudhry Anwar Bhinder of the treasury benches said the question hour ended only when the chairman announced so and till that moment it was deemed to continue.

Dr Niazi said that under the rules, the question hour meant one hour and could not be extended without seeking the consent of the house which was not sought by the chair and, hence, he would not respond to supplementary questions.

Minister for Law and Justice Chaudhry Wasi Zafar tried to answer the question but the opposition lawmakers said that in presence of the minister concerned, no one else could respond to questions, and walked out of the house in protest.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Kamil Ali Agha tried to pacify the situation by tendering apology on behalf of Mr Niazi but the opposition rejected it and said he himself should seek an apology.