ISLAMABAD, June 5: Opposition lawmakers in Senate expressed doubts on Thursday about the ability of the government to control law and order, accusing it of neglecting serious issues such as price hike, food shortage and countrywide massive power loadshedding thanks to its “fixation with the judges’ issue”.

Members belonging to MQM staged a walkout on the second consecutive day to protest the government’s failure to tackle the power crisis.

MQM lawmaker Ahmed Ali said the lengthy loadshedding had made the life of Karachiites miserable.

The Leader of the house, Mian Raza Rabbani, termed the power shortage a ‘gift’ of the previous PML-Q government. Water and power minister told the house that the coalition government had set a target to get rid of load-shedding within a year.

PML-Q leader Nisar A. Memon condemned the campaign unleashed by certain elements against President Pervez Musharraf and said those criticising the president were weakening parliament and democratic institutions.

He said the price hike had led to an increase in cases of suicide, kidnapping for ransom, robberies and train attacks, but the government had “no time to pay attention to these serious issues”.

Prof Ibrahim Khan of the Jamaat Islami criticised exoneration of some people through infamous NRO while thousands of people were languishing in jails across the country.

Haji Adeel of the ANP defended the NWFP government’s accord with the Shariat-i-Mohammadi movement of Maulana Sufi Muhammad and Taliban led by Maulana Fazlullah. He said the two religious leaders had accepted the writ of the government and the agreement had paved the way for reopening of schools, colleges and tourist resorts which had been closed for several months in Swat and deprived the area people of their livelihood.

PKMAP leader Raza Muhammad Raza Khan expressed doubts over the success of the accords with militants and extremists and said the government was duty-bound to control terrorists under international laws and it should refrain from giving Taliban a free hand to operate in areas of their choice.