Islamabad, Apr 16: The constitutional crisis in Pakistan over President Pervez Musharraf's presidency and his controversial constitutional amendments deepened with the opposition disrupting the National Assembly session forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house till Friday. The House was adjourned to April 18 by Speaker Amir Hussain minutes after it was convened last evening as opposition members from moderate parties and the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal shouted slogans denouncing the legal framework order which incorporated the constitutional amendments conferring sweeping powers on Musharraf and legalised his election through a referendum last year. Chanting slogans like "No LFO (legal framework order) no" and "go Musharraf go", opposition members surrounded the Speaker's rostrum ignoring his calls for order. Members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q remained remained silent throughout the chaos as the opposition disrupted the proceedings. The National Assembly was convened as 'trial' run before Musharraf's address to the joint sessions of the National Assembly and Senate, a constitutional requirement, planned for April 21. The PML-Q leaders, who negotiated with MMA for several weeks reportedly said that the opposition would make noisy protests but in the end allow his address to take place. The talks, however, collapsed few days ago as Musharraf agreed to scale down his powers as president but declined to quit as chief of army as demanded by MMA. Reports quoted officials close to him as saying last night that he reiterated that he was not prepared to give up his military position as it would weaken his power base considerably. Musharraf argues that he was elected through a referendum last year and it was duly legalised through the LFO, which itself was promulgated by him ahead of last year's general elections. As per the 1973 constitution which was subsequently amended by Musharraf, the president was required to be elected by members of parliament and the provincial assemblies. In view of this the opposition questioned the legitimacy of his election as president but at the same time offered to get him elected as president if quit as army chief. Ruling out his resignation as army chief, Musharraf also reportedly made it clear that the LFO need not be presented to parliament for ratification. "The government has no plans to table LFO in the parliament. If the opposition wants to discuss the LFO it can do that on the private members day," local newspaper 'Daily Times' quoted top officials as saying. Expressing his anger over the disruption of parliament, PML-Q president Sujat Hussain who negotiated with MMA on the LFO said in view of the opposition agitation, Musharraf may not address the joint session. Hussain accused MMA of double standards saying it opposed the uniformed president but at the same time its provincial government in NWFP received Musharraf with all official honours when he visited it few weeks ago. MMA leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, who is spearheading the agitation against LFO said his alliance was ready to face dissolution of parliament and face fresh elections on the LFO issue but would not accept it. "We are not bothered even if the assemblies were wound up due to our opposition to the LFO for we believe that (in that case) many will roll and Sujat Hussain, Zafarulah Jamali and Musharraf will be no exception," he said. However he said the PML-Q and MMA could resume the talks to resolve the thorny issue in the next few days. Bureau Report