ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Monday bitterly criticised Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain for demonstrating what it called extremely objectionable and partial attitude in running the lower house.

Speaking at a news conference in the Parliament House cafeteria, the deputy parliamentary leader of MMA, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said: “What happened in the assembly session today was disgusting to say the least. The speaker was under pressure of an individual”.

Elaborating, he said the speaker who did not allow any opposition legislator to even offer Fateha for former MNA Abdus Sattar Afghani last Friday, interrupted and without hearing them adjourned the house.

He said he had challenged the speaker on Friday that the house would not be allowed to run smoothly if he did not change his attitude and it was proved correct.

He said the combined opposition wanted to discuss all burning issues like Bajaur and Dargai for which adjournment motions have already been submitted.

He said the opposition also demanded that the president whether he was elected or had occupied the office should address the joint session of the parliament at the beginning of its fifth parliamentary year.

He also demanded a joint session of the parliament to debate and decide the issue of provincial autonomy as proposed by various political parties in the parliamentary committee on Balochistan.

He challenged the government that if it claimed a majority in parliament houses then it should not be afraid to invite Gen Musharraf to come and address it.

Earlier, Laeeq Ahmed Khan, MMA MNA from Karachi, claimed that the Pakhtoons living in Karachi were being denied National Identity Cards to deprive them from enrolling in the voters’ list.

He said this was done to curtail the vote bank of the MMA.

He demanded that the old NIC holders should be issued new cards so that they could enrol themselves as voters.