ISLAMABAD, June 17: Former prime minister and Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said it was a dark day for the country's Parliament' when a sitting Chief of the Army Staff started sitting in the House of elected representatives.

In a statement issue here on Thursday, the former premier asked the parliamentarians, irrespective of their political affiliation, to defend the sanctity of the House.

Ms Bhutto said, under Pakistan's Constitution, the service chiefs come under the chairman joint chiefs of staff who in turn reports to the defence secretary. "It is the defence secretary who reports to the defence minister and the defence minister to the prime minister," she added.

"Under General Musharraf's sham democracy, army chief is politicising the armed forces and insulting the will of the people by walking into the Parliament," she said. The PPP chairperson called upon Mr Musharraf to take the army back to the barracks as he had solemnly promised on the day he took power.