KARACHI, May 25: Pakistan Peoples Party on Tuesday strongly reacted to the nomination of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's parliamentary leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and termed it as a "King's friendly opposition" which had emerged as result of an alleged violation of rules.

Addressing a hurriedly called news conference at Bilawal House, deputy secretary general and parliamentary leader of PPP in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani alleged that the decision was a result of a quid pro quo for MMA's support to Gen Pervez Musharraf on LFO and the 17th amendment.

Accompanied by central executive committee's member Nawab Yusuf Talpur, he condemned the decision and cited rule 2, relating to "Definitions" in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 1992.

He maintained that the said rule clearly defined the leader of the Opposition as a "member who was for the time being leader of majority of the Opposition members."

Referring to the speaker's comments on a private TV channel that Maulana Fazlur Rahman had been made leader of the opposition because he was runner up in the run up for the prime minister's slot, he said it was a misleading interpretation.

Rabbani also pointed out that the ARD had sent a letter to the speaker signed by 79 members in support of Makhdoom Amin Fahim as leader of the Opposition. While the MMA, he said, could produce only 68 members.

He held as invalid the speaker's argument that MMA was a single entity and had fought the elections with a common symbol, whereas the ARD had not, and said the concerned rule spoke of "members" regardless of party affiliation who agreed upon to support a member as their leader.

Upon this the PPP leader argued, why had the MMA speaker in the NWFP Assembly nominated an independent member as leader of the opposition? He called it yet another attempt to marginalise the democratic progressive parties.