May 17, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 16: The combined opposition is planning to requisition a fresh National Assembly session in a couple of days to discuss the Karachi situation, deteriorating law and order situation and the country’s foreign policy in view of the US State Department’s statement about Gen Pervez Musharraf’s poor performance in the war on terror.

Sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the opposition also planned to give the government a tough time when the Senate meets here on Thursday afternoon after a day’s break. Parliamentary groups of the combined opposition will meet at 4pm to work out a strategy for the purpose.

ARD’s parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi told this correspondent that the required number of opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly had signed the requisition request and it might be filed after the approval of opposition’s parliamentary party leaders.

He said the National Assembly would discuss the issues which the opposition had raised before the session was prorogued on Tuesday.

He said that the opposition lawmakers had wanted to protest over the Karachi incidents and urged the government to accept responsibility and resign.

He said the issue of growing incidents of terrorism, including the latest Peshawar blast, would also be taken up.

He said he had already discussed the issue of requisitioning the assembly session with MMA and PML-N leaders and more discussions would be held on Thursday when parliamentary parties of the opposition would meet in the parliament house before the Senate session.

Sherry Rahman of the PPP said that consultations had taken place and the opposition might requisition a session to complete the debate on the law and order situation which had been blocked by the government.