Pak opposition files reference against PM Aziz

Islamabad, June 21: The opposition parties of Pakistan today filed a disqualification reference against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the National Assembly for his alleged involvement in corruption. The reference was filed in the office of Speaker Chuadhry Ameer Hussain with a demand that it should be forwarded to the Election Commission within 30 days, Pakistan's private Geo TV reported.

Signed by 31 opposition members, the reference stated that the prime minister is not eligible for Assembly membership under the constitution.

According to a charge framed in the reference, the prime minister had caused stock market crisis through his front man and a leading businessman Arif Habib in March 2005 and earned the money by illegal means.

Privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills also figured in the reference with opposition members claiming that verdict of the Supreme Court, which declared the deal null and void and questioned its transparency, is sufficient for disqualification of Mr Aziz.

Addressing a news conference in Parliament cafeteria after filing the reference, opposition members Liaquat Baloch of Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Khurshid Shah of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Khwaja Asif of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) said that the Speaker is bound to forward the reference to the Election Commission within 30 days.

They demanded the Speaker to send the reference against Mr Aziz with the same swiftness with which he sent the reference against crickter-turned politician Imran Khan to Election Commission two days ago.

UNI