ISLAMABAD Aug 29: On Friday the Treasury Benches had 87 members on its side, the exact number of lawmakers needed to maintain quorum.

However, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed contested the government figure and claimed that there was a lack of quorum in the House.

On his claim, a head count was made and the government side claimed that the House had the required number of lawmakers to continue proceedings.

The MMA leader asserted that Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz had been counted twice and similarly Labour Minister Abdus Sattar Lalika had also been counted more than once.

The opposition, particularly the MMA, had announced to point out quorum as part of its protest strategy to put pressure on the Treasury Benches.

Mr Hussain, at the outset of the House proceedings which started one hour behind schedule, pointed out to the Speaker that the House lacked the required number of members under the quorum rules.

With this, the Opposition members started walking out of the House leaving the mover, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, in the Assembly while the head count was being made.

When the head count was announced and the opposition members returned to the house a verbal clash took place between PPP Parliamentarian’s Khurshid Shah and the Federal Minister Abdus Sattar Lalika, both making claims against each other’s count.

However, the Opposition, instead of insisting on recounting, started its usual business of shouting slogans against the LFO and President Pervez Musharraf.