Uniform issue: Democratic Alliance to file adjournment motion in Senate

09 Sep, 2004

The Democratic Alliance in the Senate will file an adjournment motion with the Senate Secretariat, seeking a debate in the House on President General Pervez Musharraf's statement that "he was not bound to abide by the 17th Amendment".
"We will shortly file the motion. However, we will be keen to include names of some senators of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in it," sources in the alliance told Business Recorder here on Wednesday.
The sources said that the alliance and the MMA could join hands with other opposition groups in the Senate to mount pressure on President Musharraf to doff his military uniform before or on December 31.
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the recent statement by General Musharraf had set the stage for a long drawn opposition campaign in and outside the Parliament on the uniform issue.
He said that the Democratic Alliance would file an adjournment motion, taking MMA leadership into confidence.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Balochistan is expected to hold its first meeting here next week, following return of the Senate and the committee Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro.
"We are told that after drawing up a strategy here, the committee members will visit Balochistan to hold talks with the nationalist leaders," treasury Senator Mouhim Khan Baloch told Business Recorder.
He said that President Musharraf was expected to summon the session of the Upper House by December 15. He said a summary had been sent to the President House.
President Musharraf will summon the Senate prior to his departure for Latin America visit on September 19.
When contacted, MMA Deputy Secretary General Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that the MMA would like to move along with other opposition parties in the Senate on all issues.
He said that the alliance was also considering filing either an adjournment or privilege motion with the Senate regarding the uniform issue.
As per the parliamentary practice, identical motions are usually clubbed together in the National Assembly as well as in the Senate.
In the Lower House of the Parliament, the ARD, its allies and the MMA have filed separate motions on the president's statement on uniform.

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