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| Pak govt dares Oppn to resign | | | ISLAMABAD, JAN 23
As Pakistan's opposition parties closed ranks to thwart President Pervez Musharraf's plans to get re-elected by existing Assemblies, the General-backed government has launched a blistering attack on the Opposition daring its legislators to carry out their threats to resign.
Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid told reporters that government will not be cowed down by the threats of resignation and Musharraf would go ahead with his plans to get re-elected by the existing Assemblies later this year even is the opposition Islamist alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which has a majority in NWFP, resigns.
He said there was no chance of former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif heading the future governments.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi asked the opposition members specially those from MMA to resign in order to "demonstrate their commitment" to oppose Musharraf's re-election plans. The government has said it would hold repolls to fill the vacancies if the opposition decides to step down.
Niazi directed his attack on the MMA in the Senate yesterday taunting them to execute their earlier threat to resign from the assemblies.
Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri asked the MMA members to quit from the National Assembly to fulfil their promised protest against the passage of a women's rights bill in November.
"Give resignations, give resignations," Niazi chanted repeatedly at the end of a brief speech amid the din by MMA members protesting the demolition of two mosques in Islamabad.
"They can issue fatwas but cannot resign," he was quoted as saying by the daily 'Dawn'.
Niazi said Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah never wanted "mullaiyat" (rule of mullahs) and said some religious parties had opposed the creation of Pakistan.
MMA members retorted shouting "lota, lota" (turncoat), apparently referring to his defection from the People's Party (PPP) after being elected on the party's ticket in the October 2002 elections.
He said the government would not allow theocracy to take root in Pakistan or mullahs to politicise Islam. "Instead of making speeches in parliament, mullahs should resign, go to mosques and preach," he said.
In another development, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) headed by Sharif has agreed to a demand by Bhutto's PPP to postpone an all-party meet called by Sharif in London next month.
Both parties arrived at the agreement at a meeting between PPP and PML-N leaders here yesterday, sources in the parties were quoted as saying.
Bhutto, meanwhile, would tour the United States later this month and meet top of officials of Bush administration.
Both the US and Musharraf were holding talks with the self exiled former Prime Minister to support Musharraf after the general elections.
But the PPP has taken a strong stand against Musharraf's plan to get re-elected by same assemblies. |
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