Islamabad, Aug 02: Vowing to continue its protest against President Pervez Musharraf's constitutional amendments, Pakistan's main opposition alliance has said that it was still in a position to scuttle the government's efforts to conduct smooth legislative business in the National Assembly. "The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has decided to continue its protest against the controversial Legal Framework Order (LFO) and President Musharraf's rule in the forthcoming assembly session," acting president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi told reporters.
Claiming that the opposition was still very strong, he said that despite the "seeming betrayal" by the six-party Islamic alliance, MMA, it was in a position to scuttle the government's efforts to conduct smooth legislative business in the assembly. On the differences with the religious alliance, he said there was a difference of opinion even within the MMA.
The MMA's stand on the President's uniform issue is not new and the two major opposition alliances were together on a minimum agenda that the LFO could not become a part of the Constitution without the approval of Parliament, he said. The basic character of the Constitution can not be changed by the National Assembly or Senate, Hashmi said when asked about the possibility of the LFO becoming a part of the Constitution with the approval of a two-thirds majority, which the government might acquire after a patch-up with the MMA.
For that, he said, there should be a constituent assembly. "This assembly had no right to decide whether there should be a presidential rule in the country or a parliamentary democracy". Bureau Report