ISLAMABAD, June 18: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has asked the members of the treasury benches to play an active role in countering the protests of the opposition parties during the National Assembly proceedings , sources told Dawn here on Friday.

They said that the president, during a meeting with a delegation of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) on his Parliament House chamber on Friday, criticized the opposition parties, particularly the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), for making a hue and cry over the ongoing military operation in Wana.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting were Sardar Farooq Leghari, Sardar Jaffar Leghari, Sardar Nasrullah Dreshak, Dewan Jafar Hussain Bokhari, Riaz Pirzada, Hina Rabbani Khar, Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi, Jehangir Tareen, Pir Mohammad Shah Khagga, Ahmad Raza Maneka, Farooq Azam, Zafar Iqbal Warraich, Khusro Bakhtiar, Syed Ahmed Alam Anwar and Ishaq Khakwani.

President Musharraf particularly mentioned the name of Qazi Hussain Ahmed and held him responsible for most of the protests in the assembly, the sources said and quoted the president as having said that they should not politicize the Wana issue.

They should support it. He also asked the delegation members to help the government in its efforts against terrorism. The sources said that the president had expressed his displeasure over the performance of the legislators and asked the members to expedite legislation.

At this point, some members replied that they were facing difficulties due to the fact that at present there was no law minister. President Musharraf directed the members to legislate on the Hudood Ordinance and honour killings as early as possible. He also criticized the performance of Zakat and Baitul Maal officials.

The president said the government would soon appoint people of good repute in those institutions in place of corrupt officials, the sources said, adding that he told the members that the provinces had been asked to give their proposals regarding the differences and problems between the provincial governments and the local government institutions to Gen Hamid Nawaz.

President Musharraf said that he would soon convene a meeting of the chief ministers to resolve the issue after receiving the proposals. He declared the year 2007 as the election year and also asked the PML members to make arrangements for celebrating 2006 in a befitting manner to mark 100 years of the PML formation, the sources added.