ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Legislators from Opposition and Treasury expressed disappointment over the one-year performance of the parliament and blamed each other for it.

Speaking at a seminar on “One year of Parliament” organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in connection with the completion of Parliament’s first year here Monday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) deputy leader in the NA termed parliament a ‘show-peace’.

The others who spoke on the occasion included Kanwar Khalid Yunas (MQM), Malik Amin Aslam (PML-Q) and senator Sanaullah Baloch.

Mr Qureshi said that it was a weak parliament in which all-important decisions had been taken outside the house.

He said, the functioning of the parliament was very disappointing because the government seems not to be serious in legislative business and it failed to pass any law in the parliament for the people for whom it came into existence.

He regretted that deliberate efforts were underway to undermine the sovereignty and supremacy of the Parliament and unseen hands were trying to prove that the parliamentary system had failed and labelling politicians as “uneducated, uncivilized”.

He said it appears that ‘Show Peace’ parliament was created to convey the people of Pakistan and international community that democracy was functioning in the country.

Addressing the participants, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that this is not the functional parliament therefore it could not come up according to the people’s expectations.

He refuted that opposition has made LFO a complicated issue saying that opposition always tried to settle this issue but government itself does not want to settle this issue. “Government’s attitude on Legal Framework Order is very rigid and the deadlock on this issue is from their side,” he said.

Mr Qureshi further said that international community was also not impressed with the situation of democracy in Pakistan.

The government, he said, failed to complete the quorum during the outgoing parliamentary year. He also said that opposition was not given due representation in the standing committees.

“President Musharraf wants to show the world community that democracy has been restored in country but in fact it is only a show-peace which has no legislative rights, Mr Qureshi maintained.

Kanwar Khalid Yunas, MNA of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, while criticizing the opposition’s attitude in the Parliament said it should play its role in the parliament’s proceedings instead of desk thumping.

He said President Musharraf’s uniform was the need of the hour, urging opposition to take part in the legislation.—PPI