ISLAMABAD, Dec 20: Parliamentary leaders of the combined opposition in the National Assembly and Senate on Tuesday rejected the parliamentary committee on earthquake relief and reconstruction and decided against the opposition taking part in its activities.

The committee, comprising nine members each from the treasury and opposition, was constituted last month to supervise the relief and reconstruction process, and both sides had forwarded their terms of reference for the committee.

The combined opposition leaders, who met at the Parliament House, decided to shortly convene a meeting of heads of opposition parties to discuss the option of resuming an anti-government protest campaign postponed in the wake of the October 8 earthquake.

The meeting was attended by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, Mian Raza Rabbani, Mehmud Achakzai, Imran Khan, Amanullah Kanrani and others.

Later, leader of opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazl and other leaders told journalists: “The opposition leaders reviewed contents of Wasim Sajjad’s letter and unanimously rejected the powerless committee and decided not to engage itself with the government on this account any more.”

Mr Sajjaad, in his letter to Mr Rabbani, had proposed a meeting with him to sort out difference between the terms of reference proposed by the government and the opposition.

Maulana Fazl said the country’s solidarity had been put at stake by pitting three provinces against the fourth by initiating a controversy over the Kalabagh dam.

“While the need for maximum number of helicopters for airlifting relief goods for earthquake victims was not over, they are being used in a military operation in Kohlu (Balochistan),” he deplored.

He accused the government of following US dictates by calling Nato troops from Afghanistan to join relief activities instead of moving army troops stationed in Waziristan.

Answering a question, Makhdoom Fahim said the opposition leaders had rejected the parliamentary committee on earthquake under the terms proposed by the government.

Chaudhry Nisar said the government had created a war-like situation by pitting the provinces against each others and launching military operation in Balochistan. He said the opposition leaders condemned recent interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs by the US ambassador by commenting on the state of democracy in the country.

He said: “If the US (government) was so fond of our model of democracy, it should take this with its architect General Musharraf to its country.”

He said the opposition by demanding replacement of serving generals with civilian officials in the organizations responsible for relief and reconstruction wanted supremacy of parliament which the government failed to accept. “These serving generals openly say they are answerable to the GHQ and we want their replacement by civilians who are answerable to parliament.”

He said the government had obtained $200 million loans over the past three months without informing parliament.

He alleged that the generals were now trying to build Kalabagh dam on gun point.