Islamabad: Pakistan's top Opposition leader Javed Hashmi, who was arrested on charges of inciting the Army to rebel, would be tried for treason, Interior Minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat said even as the Opposition disrupted Parliament proceedings in protest today (Oct31).

Charging that Hashmi, who was recently elected President of the 15 party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has committed a "heinous crime", Hayat said he would be tried for treason and there would be no compromise on that.

"Is he the Member of the Parliament of this country or of Indian Parliament," Hayat, was quoted as saying by local daily 'The News'.

Hayat, who defected last year from former Premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to join Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali government, also criticised the Opposition parties for putting up a combined resistance for the release of Hashmi.

The ARD leader was arrested on October 29 at the Parliament lodges in Islamabad along with his driver for releasing an unsigned letter purportedly written by Army officials criticising the Army's continued role in politics.

The same newspaper quoted officials as saying that Hashmi was not produced before any court yesterday but police had obtained judicial orders remanding him to police custody for five days.

Opposition lawmakers disrupted a legislative session today and marched up the aisles, demanding that Speaker Ameer Hussain issue instructions to produce Hashmi in the House.

PTI