KARACHI, Sept 22: Amid opposition's boycott, the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday adopted by majority vote a resolution tabled by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement urging General Pervez Musharraf to continue holding the office of the army chief together with the presidency.
A similar resolution was earlier passed in the Punjab assembly whereas the NWFP assembly adopted a resolution urging the president to quit his army post. In Balochistan, the government had submitted a pro-uniform resolution, but withdrew it after its coalition partners opposed it.
Although the ruling coalition in Sindh has sufficient numerical strength in the assembly to get any resolution passed, it took advantage of members' lethargy and their habit of coming late to the assambly to table the resolution as soon as the proceedings began.
Moved by Mohammed Hussain of the MQM, the resolution was carried with a majority of 92 votes. The resolution said: "Since 9/11 Pakistan has gone through turmoil and President General Pervez Musharraf has been negotiating with US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Colin Powell and other international leaders.
"Furthermore, negotiations with India to reach a peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir are at a very crucial juncture and President Pervez Musharraf has taken the responsibility to take the peace process forward.
"Besides, the situation on Pakistan's western borders on account of Taliban and Al Qaeda elements is very delicate and in the interests of the national security, this house is of the firm opinion that it is imperative that General Pervez Musharraf remains the President and the Chief of Army Staff simultaneously."
The government's tactics took the opposition off guard as at the time of the commencement of proceedings, at 10.05, with Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair, there were hardly seven opposition members in the house.
One of them, Zahid Bhurgari, tried to gain some time for the opposition by raising point of order by raising a matter pertaining to the Zeal Pak Cement factory in Hyderabad. But the government was in no mood to miss the opportunity. Mr Mohammad Hussain was given the floor by the speaker, despite protest from the few opposition law makers present in the house.
When Mr Hussain requested the Speaker, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, that under Rule 211 of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh the provisions of sub-rule 2 of Rule 103 may be dispensed with to enable him to move the resolution.
Former chief minister and senior parliamentarian Syed Qaim Ali Shah of the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians opposed his request on the plea that there was no urgency.
PPP-Parliamentarians' Rafiq advocate contended that under rule 104(6) matters pertaining to the conduct of the president, governor and the judiciary could not be brought under discussion in the assembly.
The speaker referred Mr Hussain's request for relaxing the rule to the house which was approved by majority. But the opposition members started protesting loudly and Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad agreed that four members from each side would speak on the admissibility.
Mr Hussain then read out the text of the resolution and made a speech in its favour. Speaking against the admissibility of the resolution, Mr Rafiq Engineer of the PPP Parliamentarians claimed that the resolution was against the Constitution and objectives of the founding fathers.
Reiterating his party's resolve to defend the 1973 constitution he referred to Article 244 and third schedule which pertains to the oath by the armed forces personnel.
MQM's Shakir Ali spoke in defence of the resolution and when he referred to what he described as the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's undemocratic role leading to the dismemberment of the country, the opposition MPAs rose up and started shouting slogans against General Musharraf.
At this point, the speaker told the opposition members that if they did not stop shouting, he would call for a division. This added fuel to the fire and the opposition members gathered in front of his podium and kept on chanting slogans.
Irfanullah Khan Marwat suggested to the chair to call for a vote. When the speaker ordered a division, the opposition left the house saying it had boycotted the voting on the resolution. After the vote-count, the speaker adjourned the house till Thursday morning.