ISLAMABAD, May 10: The opposition in the Senate on Thursday criticised the government for what it termed a deliberate attempt to create a clash-like situation in Karachi by allowing the MQM to take out a rally on the route which was to be used by lawyers and supporters of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Saturday.

The opposition staged a walkout at the fag end of the proceedings in protest against government’s handling of the presidential reference.

The situation, the lawmakers said, was being created to preparing ground for imposing emergency in the country.

The government side rejected the allegations and said it was doing its best to avert what was being perceived as the country moving towards anarchy and political upheaval.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said the government believed in freedom of expression and asked the opposition to help the government in maintaining law and order. He condemned the firing at the home of Supreme Court Bar president Munir A. Malik in Karachi.

Earlier, the opposition staged a token walkout in protest against government’s decision to hand over the Gwadar port to the Singapore port authority on 20 years’ lease along with 20,000 acres of land.

The house raised the issue of Siemens not allowing duty-free generators to meet the worst-ever loadshedding, particularly in Karachi. On a point of order, Ahmed Ali of the MQM pointed out that the CBR had levied 20 per cent duty on large and five per cent on small generators to protect Seamens’ locally manufactured generators but it was causing colossal losses to private entrepreneurs.

Leader of the Opposition Raza Rabbani alleged that Siemens was another cartel which was there to save its business at the cost of others.

Speaking on over a dozen identical adjournment motions clubbed together and sought to be moved by all opposition lawmakers, Mr Rabbani raised doubts about the genuineness of the code of conduct purported to have been issued by the Supreme Court in the reference case as it neither appeared to have been ordered by the Acting Chief Justice nor signed by the registrar.

Even if presumed that the press release had been issued by the SC Registrar, he had no authority to control or regulate proceedings on the floor of parliament, he said, adding that this would amount to an infringement of the power envisaged in the Constitution.

Through the adjournment motions, the lawmakers raised questions relating to the situation created by the presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, actions aimed at intimidating media organisations, browbeating of various electronic media organisations and attempts to create an emergency situation in the country.

Mr Rabbani criticised the release of the same press release to members of the Senate and said the upper house was a sovereign body which could not be regulated by judicial decrees.

He said the Sindh government’s letter to the chief justice seeking postponement of his visit to Karachi had indicated government’s endeavour to make the situation further volatile. He asked why was the MQM allowed to use the same route for its rally which was to be used by the CJ’s procession.

He alleged the government was trying to gather government officials in the garb of lawyers to make a false show of strength. He also condemned a baton-charge on lawyers in Jhelum and arrests of political activists.

Prof Khurshid of the MMA demanded immediate dissolution of the assemblies and holding of fresh election to end the political stalemate.

Col (retd) Mashhadi of the MQM denied that Geo Television had been attacked by police. Seemin Siddiqui of the PML complained that the media was not giving even-handed coverage to both pro- and anti-government rallies.