Pakistan opposition seeks early elections

Opposition parties in parliament on Saturday expressed their resolve to build pressure on the government for early election. Talking to newsmen after staging a walkout, Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, expressed satisfaction that all opposition forces, including JUI-F had joined the boycott. He said the president’s speech was full of empty boasts in contrast to dismal performance of the government. The economy is on the brink and the common man is groaning under pain of power and gas outages, inflation, unemployment and corruption. While the PML-N members chanted anti-Zardari slogans to disrupt President Zardari’s speech before staging the walkout, the JUI members kept standing occasionally thumping desks. The MQM withdrew its threat to boycott the session after some last-minute telephonic contacts between the government and MQM chief Altaf Hussain. The president began his speech with a smile in response to slogans being raised by the opposition members. His tone, however, soon became tense and his voice nervously shuddered while he read out the script. President Zardari stumbled and his chair fell on the ground when he rose to move towards the rostrum to begin the speech.