Opposition blames Govt of bypassing Parliament
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—As the National Assembly kept continued debate on the tragic earthquake issue during its Thursday session, Opposition Leader Maulana Fazalur Rehman regretted that President Musharraf could not demonstrate courage to address the session even after the lapse of almost three and a half months.
In his marathon-speech, leader of the opposition in the lower house and secretary general MMA Maulana Fazlur Rehman complained that the government had totally ignored the supreme institution of parliament in the backdrop of consultations over the post-quake relief, rehabilitation and foreign and national aid disbursement.
“President Musharraf policies have been rejected world over and he (Musharraf) should review his policies,” he said adding that Federal Ministers and state ministers should submit their one month salaries as the lawmakers did.
“This parliament has been debating the earthquake issue for the last one month and merely speeches will not serve any purpose and it will be appropriate that the parliament should be taken into confidence to mull the distribution of foreign as well as national financial and material assistance,” he underscored. “We want to know how the relief and aid goods are being disbursed among the quake-affectees but the government has intentionally bypassed the supreme national institution,” he regretted. He went on to say that all national institutions had been given in the supervision of generals and the parliament had been ignored.