A view of the National Assembly.—File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly gave the PPP led coalition government a major morale boost on Monday in the face of perceived challenges with a resolution passed with a big majority reposing trust in the political leadership and urging all state institutions to strictly remain within their constitutional limits.

The vote, followed by an opposition walkout, came after the gov-ernment accepted only one of three amendments proposed by the opposition PML-N inserting words saying that 'sovereignty lies with Almighty Allah', but rejected the remaining two that seemed diversionary and a reflection on the coalition's performance during about four years of its rule.

A jubilant Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called the vote a 'historic moment' in support ofdemocracy and parliament and declared amid cheers from the house that he would appear before Supreme Court on Thursday to comply with summons to answer a contempt show-cause notice.

The PML-N and its leader of opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had opposed the resolution, for which a special session of the lower house was called, on the ground that there was no threat to democracy or the government because of its about two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament but sought amendments -demanding that the government implement all previous parliamentary resolutions and 'decision of the superior judiciary' and address problems like corruption and energy shortages to make the draft meaningful.

The opposition suffered a setback when the Jamiat Ulema-iIslam of Maulana Fazlur Rehman backed the government draft despite an earlier claim by Chaudhry Nisar that he spoke not only for PML-N but also the JUI-F and one-seat PPP-S in seeking amendments to the resolution, which enjoyed the support of all coalition partners the PPP, PMLQ, MQM, ANP and independents from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

However, PPP-S leader and former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao opposed the resolution as unnecessary and joined the PML-N in storming out of the house after losing the voice vote and without listening to the prime minister's speech and a complaint from him that they did so though the government refrained from taking a vote on Friday despite its majority in deference to the opposition's demand for a deferment until Monday after the draft was moved by ANP chief Asfandyar Wali.

The prime minister explained the move was made on the advice of the PPP's coalition partners in view of rumours about the future of the government and parliament.

This was a reference to the spate of adverse speculation mainly by the private electronic media after a ruling of a Surpeme Court bench casting aspersions on both President Asif Ali Zardari and Mr Gilani regarding implementation of an earlier ruling and much publicised differences with the military leadership over another case pending before the apex court regarding the authorship of a controversial memo sent in May to then US military chief for help against a feared threat of a coup.

'The message (of the resolution) is that here is a responsible parliament and that parliament is supreme, the prime minister said about the vote.

He rejected oft-repeated charges of critics that the government sought a confrontation with other state organs and, referring particularly to judiciary, asked how he could think of it when 'we suffered batons' and criminal charges for the restoration of judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf and while his first announcement even before taking oath as prime minister in March 2008 was for the release of detained judges.

'Phir bhi kahytay hain ke hum wafadar nahin' (even then they say we are not loyal), Mr Gilani remarked, apparently about an observation in the Jan 10 ruling by a five-judge Supreme Court bench raising questions about his loyalty to his oath and the constitution.

He described people remaining loyal to their parties as a 'rare species' these days that he said should rather be 'protected', and added that commitment to the ideology of Pakistan, to the constitution and to one's party did not mean that 'we are not committed to the Supreme Court' And finally, before the house was adjourned until 10am on Tuesday, Asfandyar Wali said his resolution did not contemplate a confrontation of institutions which he said 'the country cannot afford' in the present situation but added: 'This (parliament) is the mother of all institutions in this country.

AMNDED RESOLUION Here is the text of the resolution as passed by the National Assembly with an amendment moved by the government itself: 'This house believes that the present democratic dispensation, which is about to complete four years, came into being as a result of great sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan.

'This house reiterates the belief of the democratic forces that the future of Pakistan and wellbeing of its people lie in the continuation and strengthening of democratic institutions and constitutionalism for the resolution of national issues, strengthening of the federation and empowering the people of Pakistan.

'This house believes that for the furtherance of democracy and democratic institutions, the basic constitutional principle of trichotomy of powers must be fully respected and adhered to and all state institutions must strictly function within the limits imposed on them by the constitution.

'The house reiterates that sovereignty belongs to Almighty Allah and the authority to be exercised through the people of Pakistan and the parliament is the repository of the collective wisdom of the people.

'This house endorses and supports the efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy and reposes full confidence and trust in them.