ISLAMABAD Sept 1: The opposition has filed a requisition for a Senate session to debate the killing of Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in an operation in Kohlu on Aug 26.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani told newsmen at the Parliament House on Friday that as the representative of the federation it was incumbent upon the house to speak out in support of federalism, democracy and parliamentary supremacy and against use of state machinery and state terrorism to suppress anti-government voices.

The requisition was signed by 30 senators to summon a session to ‘debate effects of assassination of Mr Bugti on the federation of Pakistan and to show solidarity with the people of Balochistan’.

Mr Rabbani said that through their representatives in the Senate, the people of Sindh, Punjab and the NWFP would express solidarity with their Baloch brothers at this juncture of their national tragedy when a senior leader had been killed by federal forces.

He said all the people of the three other provinces and political parties were on the side of their Baloch brothers in their struggle for their rights on economic resources and provincial autonomy.

He said the senators wanted to send a message that the federation was not ready to allow use of state forces to control politicians or murder them because of their independent approach.

Answering a question, Mr Rabbani said all the opposition parties had consensus on resigning from parliament but they might wait for some time for en bloc resignations to get maximum political benefit from the move.

He condemned the government’s dubious statements regarding the burial of Nawab Bugti and disallowing his heirs to have his last glimpse.