ISLAMABAD, April 20 The government came under pressure in the Senate on Monday when the MQM staged a token walkout in protest against the chairman`s failure to give a ruling on the status of parliament and its members in view of remarks of the banned TNSM`s chief Sufi Mohammad against parliament, parliamentarians, high courts and the Supreme Court.

Lawmakers from both the treasury and the opposition opposed tabling of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in the house.

After a failed attempt to skip the issue, Senate Chairman Farooq H. Naek reserved his ruling on Sufi Mohammad`s `edict` and the resolution through which the regulation was to be adopted.

At the outset, Muttahida Qaumi Movement`s Minister Babar Ghauri interrupted the chairman during announcement of leave applications of members.

“Mr chairman, first you must tell us whether we are non-Muslims and whatever we have been doing for the past one and a half years was un-Islamic?” he asked.

Tahir Mashhadi, of the MQM, said “We have been Muslims for 1,400 years and no one can be allowed to tell us about our faith.” He opposed tabling of the Nizam-i-Adl resolution, which was on the day`s agenda.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan, who introduced the document in the house, defended the act, saying that there was no harm in doing something which had already been done in the National Assembly.

The National Assembly had adopted a resolution backing the regulation on the day it was presented.

Abdul Rahim Mandokhel said “We are not responsible for introduction of the document in the National Assembly, but we will never allow its introduction in this house.”

Ilyas Bilour, of the Awami National Party, also opposed introduction of the resolution on the ground that it had already been passed by the National Assembly and the president and the NWFP governor had signed the regulation for enforcement.

Syed Zafar Ali Shah cited rules and constitutional provisions to prove that the regulation could not be tabled in the house because it had been signed by President Zardari in exercise of his prerogative. Moreover, he added, the document pertained to a province, and not the federal government.

After a heated debate, Mr Ghauri led a walkout by members of his party.

Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari confronted the Pakistan Muslim League-Q over its walkout after its failure to introduce a bill against horse trading.

When Leader of the Opposition Wasim Sajjad led the walkout by members of his party, Mr Bokhari said “You had changed the same law when it suited you and now when it bites your own party you want to score points.”

Introduction of the bill seeking to amend the law on horse-trading was opposed by the majority of members when the parliamentary affairs minister informed the house that a committee was being formed to propose changes to the Constitution.

Mr Sajjad regretted that the law against changing loyalties, immoral political manoeuvres and horse-trading passed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif`s government was changed later. He said the power to declare a legislator a turncoat should lie with the leader of his party, who should send his name to the Supreme Court for decision in 30 days.

He expressed dismay over opposition to the bill.

Mian Raza Rabbani, of the Pakistan People`s Party, introduced two bills seeking to repeal an amendment to the Banking Ordinance of 1962 for lifting the ban on trade unions and repeal of the Removal from Service (Special Powers) Ordinance 2000.

“The law putting curbs on trade unions in the banking sector is a black law which negates international norms and ILO conventions,” he said.

He also criticised a law that gave unbridled powers to the erstwhile military government for removing from service any government servant. He said the PPP was committed to repealing the ordinance.