ISLAMABAD Aug 26: Three federal ministers on Saturday termed the no-confidence move opposition’s inherent democratic right but said that it was doomed to fail, eroding away its political and public support.

This was stated in a joint conference addressed by Federal Minister for Information Mohammad Ali Durrani, Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind and Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

The information minister said that the opposition would be required to prove its majority in the house on Aug 29, adding that all treasury lawmakers would ensure their presence in the house to extend support to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Comenting on the official patronage of MQM leader Altaf Hussain, the minister said: “As long as the MQM is allied with the government and supports Gen Musharraf and Prime Minister Aziz’s policies, we will stand by its leadership.”

Ghulam Sarwar Khan defended the jail terms awarded to Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, a former speaker, and Javed Hashmi, acting president of the PML (Nawaz), and said that the former had been tried on the basis of a case filed by the outgoing government while the latter had committed “great disservice to Pakistan” by criticising one of the country’s prestigious institutions (armed forces).

Terming the opposition’s demand for a secret ballot for the no-trust move undemocratic, the three ministers said that there would be no deviation from the method prescribed by the Constitution.

Mr Durrani said the procedure used for electing the prime minister would be used for the no-confidence motion.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan criticised PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s statement in which she had accused Gen Musharraf of having failed to stop extremists and terrorists from widening their net in Pakistan.

Mr Rind and Durrani did not respond when they were asked if the government intended to take any action against legislators absent on Aug 29, including Ayela Malik (wife of Mr Rind), who is not attending the assembly since she married the minister a couple of years ago. He supported the government for undertaking what he said unprecedented development in Balochistan and steps taken for maintaining peace there.