September 13, 2007	Thursday	Sha'aban 30, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 12: The representatives of almost all the opposition parties have submitted an adjournment motion to the Senate Secretariat seeking a discussion on the preventive measures taken by the government on the occasion of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s return from exile but not specifically his deportation.

Interestingly, the initiative of moving the motion was taken by the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) which kept itself aloof from the reception of Mr Sharif and it has also been signed by PML-N senators.

In their motion, the members did not mention anything about the police action against PML-N leaders and workers, and sought debate only on manhandling of some lawyers by the personnel of law enforcement agencies when they tried to march towards the Islamabad Airport to receive Mr Sharif.

The motion has a mention of the arrest of the heads of the political parties without any charge at one place, but the members seem to be not interested in having a discussion on alleged manhandling of Mr Sharif at the airport and his consequent forced deportation to Saudi Arabia.

Quoting media reports, the motion states that all the incoming roads towards Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Islamabad Airport were cordoned and the ‘citizens of Pakistan’ were stopped to enter the cities.

“The security forces baton charged and tear gassed the lawyers who were trying to receive the former prime minister. Several lawyers and other persons were injured and the head of the political parties were arrested without any charge,” it says.

It may be recalled that the PPP did not condemn the deportation of Mr Sharif to Saudi Arabia and termed it a matter between the PML-N, the Musharraf regime and the Saudi rulers.

When contacted, opposition leader in the Senate and a PPP stalwart Raza Rabbani said that the motion had been filed by them after discussing the technical aspects. He said the motion had been drafted in this language so that the government could not find an excuse to kill it without debate.

“The purpose of moving the motion is to discuss mode and the manner in which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was deported to Saudi Arabia,” he said.

The motion carries the signatures of Opposition Leader Raza Rabbani, PPP’s Enver Baig, Babar Awan, PkMAP Senator Abdul Rahim Mandokhel, MMA’s Prof Khurshid Ahmed, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali and Ishaq Dar and Sadia Abbasi of the PML-N.