ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: The opposition is planning to requisition the National Assembly session in the last week of this month, sources told Dawn here on Wednesday. The sources said the move had been initiated by the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal (MMA) would also be contacted in this regard because the ARD itself did not have the required number of members to submit the notice.

When contacted, secretary-general of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Raja Pervez Ashraf said the opposition wanted to convene the National Assembly to discuss the implications of the uniform bill and Gen Pervez Musharraf's proposals for resolution of Kashmir issue.

When asked whether the opposition had changed its strategy of staging protest inside the assembly, Mr Ashraf said there had been no change in the strategy. He said the opposition would take part in the assembly proceedings only on its own agenda.

He said the opposition wanted to present its viewpoint on different issues through the parliament. He said Gen Musharraf had told the Indian leadership that there was no problem for Pakistan as he (Gen Musharraf) himself took decisions on major issues. He said by discussing the Kashmir issue in the assembly, the opposition wanted to negate this impression of Gen Musharraf.

He said Gen Musharraf had no authority to take any unilateral decision on such an important national issue. He said the opposition also wanted to discuss the worsening law and order situation in the country. He said if the government did not allow a debate on these issues, then it would be exposed before the public and the world that the parliament was not sovereign.