Opposition steps up Pakistan protest

By Zaffar Abbas
BBC Islamabad correspondent

Opposition members in Pakistan have held a demonstration against President Pervez Musharraf's decision to represent the country at the United Nations.

MPs feel Jamali (right) should represent Pakistan at the UN

Members boycotted sessions in both houses of parliament.

They described President Musharraf as an unelected military ruler and said that in the presence of an elected prime minister he has no right to represent the country at the international forum.

This is a new phase in the opposition's protest campaign that has kept parliament virtually paralysed since elections last October.

Tuesday's protest is part of the opposition's move to step up its campaign against the president and his controversial amendments to the constitution.

Shouting slogans against President Musharraf, dozens of opposition members marched out of the parliament building and blocked its main entrance.

A number of them carried banners that denounced the military ruler for representing the country at the UN.

Attack

During the hour-long protest there were fiery speeches by representatives of all the three main opposition groupings.

An MP from Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party said while President Musharraf does not have the courage to address the national parliament he has chosen to represent the country at the UN General Assembly.

Other speakers said if the military ruler refused to withdraw the controversial amendments that have given him additional powers, the opposition parties would step up their campaign by holding countrywide demonstrations.

The crisis is likely to deepen further.

President Musharraf has once again declared that he will neither step down as military chief nor take back the controversial amendments he has introduced in the constitution.