ISLAMABAD, May 14: With lawmakers of the combined opposition walking out of the Senate in protest against Saturday’s killings in Karachi, the government was forced to seek adjournment of the proceedings on Monday, as a mark of ‘mourning’ for the victims.

The opposition also blamed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a government coalition ally in Sindh, of unleashing a reign of terror in Karachi on the occasion of the Chief Justice’s visit on Saturday.

Later, addressing a news conference, opposition leaders blamed federal and Sindh governments for incidents of target killings, firing and arson incidents and attack on media organisations in the city and demanded the sacking of the Sindh governor.

At the outset of the upper house proceedings, Leader of Opposition Mian Raza Rabbani said that the bloodshed in Karachi had taken place despite the fact that the federal government had been asked twice in the house to persuade its coalition ally to change the schedule of its rally and hold it either on May 11 or May 13.

As he led the opposition lawmakers out of the house, Leader of the House Wasim Sajjad suggested that the session be adjourned for the day as a mark of mourning for people killed in Karachi violence.

Mr Rabbani, on a point of order, alleged that the same police and Rangers, which had now been ordered to shoot rioters and arsonists, supplied arms to hooligans of a certain party, enabling them to fire on unarmed people with impunity.

He paid tribute to the people of Pakistan, especially Punjab, who had expressed their resentment over the human tragedy and said that the opposition would prefer to boycott the Senate proceedings in support of the people.

The opposition lawmakers were wearing black arm-bands as a mark of mourning.

MQM lawmakers Ahmed Ali, Col (retd) Tahir and minister Sifwanullah in their brief statements defended the ‘security measures’ taken by the Sindh government and their party.They asked the opposition to let ‘an investigation’ finalise its findings before pointing fingers at their party. They supported the idea of adjourning the session as a mark of ‘mourning’.

Mr Wasim Sajjad said the government had proposed before the occurrence of violence in Karachi that the timings and venues of the rallies planned by rival parties should be changed, adding that the proposal had been ignored.

He said that the colossal human and material losses had occurred because of mistrust and misunderstandings.

Addressing a press conference, Mian Raza Rabbani (PPP), Maulana Nasib Gul and Prof Ibrahim Khan (MMA), Asfandyar Wali Khan (ANP), Ishaq Dar (PML-N), Raza Muhammad Raza Khan (Pakhtoonkhwah Milli Awami Party), and Shahid Bugti (JWP), demanded that Gen Pervez Musharraf and his group should resign. They called for setting up a government of national consensus and formation of an independent election commission for smooth transition of power.

They condemned the murder of additional registrar of the Supreme Court Hamad Raza, a close aide of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.