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Jamali Govt. challenges Opposition to prove strength

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD June 27. The ruling combine led by the Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, has decided to adopt a novel method of not taking part in the no-trust motion moved against the National Assembly Speaker, Amir Hussain.

Confident of its majority, the ruling combine challenged the Opposition to prove its strength. Under the rules, the Speaker can be removed when at least half the total strength of the House votes in favour of the motion.

Though it is easy to predict what will happen in the Assembly, the Government is not likely to emerge unscathed from the confrontation.

The Opposition parties have called for a march to Parliament House and the Supreme Court building tomorrow to protest against the Legal Framework Order (LFO), incorporating the controversial constitutional amendments made by Gen. Musharraf.

The march will start from the Parliament lodges. The legislators will converge on Parliament House to reiterate their rejection of the Government's "anti-people' policies, the Pakistan People's Party leader, Makhdoom Fahim, announced. From there, they would move to the Supreme Court.

The protest coincides with the National Assembly session that will take up the Opposition-sponsored no-trust motion against the Speaker. Mr. Fahim alleged that the judiciary had been made `hostage" under the Provisional Constitutional Order.

As long as this situation prevailed, he said, the people's problems would be solved.

He claimed that the no-trust motion was based on principles and declared that the Opposition would continue its struggle.

In reply to a question, he said choosing a leader of the Opposition was secondary at the moment because top priority was the LFO. He denied that he was acting as a bridge between the military and the PPP leadership.

The ruling combine's decision has intrigued observers particularly coming against the backdrop of claims by the Opposition that some members of the ruling coalition would vote in favour of the motion.

The President, Pervez Musharraf, has summoned the National Assembly to meet on Saturday to decide on the Opposition move.

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