March 27, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, March 26: Opposition senators submitted an adjournment motion to the Senate Secretariat on Monday seeking a debate on reports that the Rawalpindi district government had directed government teachers to attend President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s public rally on Tuesday.

The public rally is being organised at the Liaquat Bagh on Tuesday in connection with the inauguration of the Leh Nullah Expressway.

Parliamentary secretary of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Izhar Amrohvi told Dawn that the adjournment motion had been moved under Rule 74, of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, in the Senate 1988 and it had been signed by seven senators belonging to four political parties, including People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and Awami National Party (ANP).

In the motion, the members have stated, “The teachers of government schools and colleges have been directed by the district government to attend President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s public meeting at Liaquat Bagh with their staff on Tuesday on the occasion of inauguration of Leh Nullah Expressway.”

“The teachers have been warned that action would be taken against the absentees. The government does not and cannot issue directives in this way as there is no such provision in the law. The matter is very important and needs discussion on the floor of the house adjourning the business of the house,” it continued.

The adjournment motion has been moved by Opposition Leader in the Senate Raza Rabbani, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Enver Baig and Rukhsana Zuberi of the PPP, Saadia Abbasi of the PML-N, Prof Khurshid Ahmed of the MMA and Asfandyar Wali Khan of the ANP.

According to reports, the heads of some schools and colleges have been verbally directed by the district officers concerned to attend the Liaquat Bagh rally with their staff.

These heads of the educational institutions have asked their staff to comply with the orders. The teachers have been warned that action would be taken against the absent teachers under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act.