Thursday, August 10 2006 13:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan's opposition has announced that it would bring a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the National Assembly on Aug 23, a move that has galvanised the ruling coalition to counter it.

What makes the move significant is the ascendance of the rightwing Islamist coalition of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which has a strong presence in parliament and controls two provincial governments of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan.

The MMA has seized the opportunity even as the opposition quibbles over the 'Charter of Democracy' prepared by the two exiled former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), another opposition combine, said all opposition parties have decided to participate in the MMA-organised public rally scheduled to be held on Aug 14, Pakistan's Independence Day, at Minar-e-Pakistan, the national monument, at Lahore.

He said the opposition is united and moving ahead with its plan to have the next general election under a caretaker setup.

"It will be turning point of the political history of Pakistan," he added.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, heading the party of Nawaz Sharif, said it will be an achievement of the opposition if they bring a no-confidence motion against the prime minister irrespective of whether it succeeds or not, as it will highlight the wrongdoings of the Government.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a member of the committee of 12 who would coordinate the no-trust move, said it was the first step towards achieving the goal of a grand opposition alliance.

About the 'Charter of Democracy', Hussain said the MMA was agreed on the philosophy of the charter but certain things needed to be debated before validating it, The News reported.

"The combined opposition has formed a 12-member committee to draft a charge-sheet against the government and contact all parties on the no-confidence move against Aziz on Aug 23," ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim told the media.