Both sides of the House secured an equal number of votes — 46 each. The senior Deputy Speaker, Mr Afzal Cheema, who was in the Chair, gave his casting vote in favour of the Opposition motion, bringing victory for the latter. Casting vote of the Chair in case of a tie is obligatory.

The other Deputy Speaker, Mr Abul Quasem, who was present in the House, however, abstained from voting in spite of the insistence of Opposition members.

Mr Abul Quasem said later in his chamber that he did not exercise his voting right in any previous division in the House.

Obviously thrilled and elated by their first victory in the National Assembly, Opposition members jumped with joy and celebrated it by thumping the desks when the result of the division was announced by the Senior Deputy Speaker.

The members of the Treasury benches sat in grim silence following the declaration of the result.—Staff Correspondent

Attacks on Islam in US magazine DACCA: At the resumed session of the National Assembly today (March 12), Mr Farid Ahmad sought to move an adjournment motion on the “scandalous attack on the institutions of Islam” by America’s Newsweek magazine, but later withdrew it on the assurance of the Home Minister that the Government would deal with the matter seriously.

Mr Farid Ahmad said that the magazine in its issue of Feb 25, 1963, published an article under the headline “Fasting and Feasting” which contained derogatory and uncharitable remarks about Ramazan.—Staff Correspondent