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Afghanistan/South Asia
Pandemonium in Pakistani legislature over anti-army resolution
2005-09-06
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s national legislature on Tuesday witnessed pandemonium after opposition parties took on a federal minister for his pro-military views and dubbed him a political turncoat.

The minister, Sher Afgan Niazi, had attempted to block an opposition resolution demanding the army end its involvement in national politics and return to barracks. Liaqat Baloch, an MP of the religio- political nutwing alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (moveon.org MMA), moved the resolution to coincide it with Pakistan’s Defence Day being observed today to commemorate the 1965 war with India.
Attaboy, commemorate a war you lost.
But the moment Baloch rose to address the house, Niazi stood up out of turn to eulogize President Musharraf’s service for the country. This attracted some shouts of “lota, lota” from opposition benches. The term “lota”, a pot used in rural areas for watering plants, denotes politicians who switch sides, usually in favour of the ruling party. “Yes I am a lota, I am proud of it, I am proud of my work with General Musharraf, who was voted into presidency with MMA votes,” Niazi said in response.

Niazi’s political rivals have been threatening to resign from the legislature, which they say is powerless in the presence of an exceptionally strong President. “We wanted to send a message on the day from parliament that the military must perform within the parametres defined in the Constitution and return to barracks,” Baloch told DPA.
Posted by:Steve White

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