ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The opposition shouted anti-LFO protest through the National Assembly proceedings on Monday as tensions mounted after the treasury benches sought a debate over a recent Swiss court verdict against former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Desk-thumping and slogan-chanting against President Pervez Musharraf and his controversial Legal Framework Order (LFO) by the opposition members drowned out most of nearly two hours’ proceedings after the lower house met following a two-day weekend recess.

The opposition parties grouped in the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) said they would continue slogan-shouting throughout assembly sittings — without resort to walkouts — for at least this week after which they could review the mode of their protest.

ARD’s parliamentary leader Javed Hashmi told reporters after the session the government had tried to provoke the opposition and divert attention from the LFO by bringing in the Swiss court verdict through an adjournment motion tabled by PPP-Patriots group parliamentary leader Sher Afgan Niazi.

But he said the opposi- tion would keep focus on the LFO and go ahead with its protest campaign.

MMA spokesman Liaqat Baloch said his alliance of six Islamic parties would consider at a meeting later at night whether to continue its separate talks with the ruling coalition over the LFO any longer while there was no positive move from the other side.

It were only MMA members who started desk-thumping and slogan-chanting at the start of the sitting while members from ARD parties — the People’s Party Parliamentarians, the Pakistan Muslim League-N and their allies — were still having a meeting.

But the tempo of the noisy protest, dominated by “Go Musharraf, go” and “No LFO, no” chants, increased as the ARD members also marched in after the start of the question hour.

Some other slogans repeatedly chanted included “lathi goli ki sarkar, nahin chalegi nahin chalegi” (rule by stick and bullet will not work) and “Article six, Musharraf in a fix” — a reference to the Constitution’s Article 6 which describes abrogation or subversion of the Constitution as high treason.

Many opposition members wore on their shoulders anti-Musharraf stickers reading “grade 22 employee and self-styled president — not acceptable, not acceptable”.

But Mr Niazi’s adjournment motion about the Swiss magistrate’s verdict, which has already been challenged by Ms Bhutto in Switzerland, added fuel to the fire.

He said the verdict against Ms Bhutto and her jailed husband Asif Ali Zardari on money-laundering charges should be discussed because it had brought a bad name to Pakistan and his move would give an opportunity to PPP members to defend their leader in the house.

But Mr Niazi’s speech, much of which could not be heard because of the noise, was greeted with repeated chants of “lota, lota” — a description for turncoats that opposition members use for him for defecting the PPP along with about 20 other members that formed the PPP-Patriots group.

Some PPP members, apparently agitated by Mr Niazi’s remarks, were seen advancing towards the front row of seats, but were held back by other colleagues.

Amid continuing noise, the motion was supported by some members on the treasury benches whose speeches too were shouted out by opposition members, before the house was adjourned until 10am on Tuesday.

Earlier, Education Minister Zubaida Jalal assured the house that the federal government could consider helping the establishment of a fine arts college in Karachi if a proposal came from the Sindh provincial government.