Sunday, Apr 20, 2003
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By B. Muralidhar Reddy
The rigid postures of both sides were evident today when the Opposition threatened to move a `no confidence motion' against the Senate Chairman and the ruling combine ruled out resignation of Gen. Musharraf as Army chief. The Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, told correspondents that he had no hesitation in declaring Gen. Musharraf as his `boss' and contested the views of the Opposition on the validity of the laws. "All of us, including me, have accepted Gen. Musharraf as an elected President through the referendum. There is no point in raking up a controversy on the subject''. Amidst non-stop slogans of `go Musharraf go' and `no Legal Framework Order no', Parliament on Friday had to be adjourned till Monday without transacting any business. Since the general election in October last year, the National Assembly has not had a single normal legislative session as the Opposition is insisting not only on the resignation of Gen. Musharraf as the Army chief but also withdrawal of the LFO. The LFO incorporates several controversial amendments made by Gen. Musharraf to the Constitution. Immediately after the adjournment of Parliament, Mr. Jamali extended an invitation to the opposition groups for negotiations. However, it is doubtful whether the talks would succeed. ``We are considering moving the no-confidence motion against the partial attitude of the Senate chairman," the chairman of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the Senate member, Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, announced at a news conference. The Opposition parties have made it known that they have no intention of responding to individual invitations of Mr. Jamali for talks on the plea that it was a ploy to `divide and rule'. The National Assembly session, which was adjourned on Monday, started in the morning but was soon adjourned till Monday after the Opposition protested against the LFO. Their contention was that a person holding the post of Army chief could not be the President under the Constitution. The parliamentarians of the Opposition parties protested outside the Parliament House against the LFO. Earlier, the Opposition parties on Friday decided to continue their protest against the LFO. The parliamentarians of the MMA, the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz met to finalise a common strategy. They said that one person should hold only one official designation rather than two suggesting that they are prepared to accept Gen. Musharraf as President if he is prepared to quit as Army chief. The Government appears to be helpless. The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, maintained that the people are keen that their elected representatives resolve their problems and they have no interest as far as the LFO is concerned. Talking to newsmen after the adjournment of the National Assembly, he said efforts by the Government to arrive at an amicable solution are under way. He said the MMA and other Opposition parties should also give serious consideration to the situation arising out of the agitation. He asked the Opposition not to persist with one issue and allow the Assembly transact its business in a cordial atmosphere.
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