Islamabad: A rift emerged today in Pakistan's opposition party PML-Q, which supports embattled President Pervez Musharraf, with eight lawmakers boycotting a parliamentary party meeting.

Lawmaker Kashmala Tariq walked out of a joint meeting of parliamentarians of the PML-Q and Muttahida Qaumi Movement after she was not allowed to speak by the party's leadership.

She was joined in the boycott by lawmakers Rana Asif Tausif, Israrullah Tareen, Riaz Fatiana, Nasurullah Bijarani, Ehsanullah, Liaqat Bhatti and Noman Langryal.

Talking to reporters, Tariq confirmed the rift and said she had reservations over former federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat's designation as the 's parliamentary party leader.

Tariq said the opposition parties should adopt an "aggressive" role in parliament but this was not being done by the PML-Q.

"There are only four people making decisions while the rest of us have even been deprived of the right to express our point of view," she said.

She demanded that Hayat and Mushahid Hussain Sayed should be removed from post of parliamentary party leader and secretary general of the PML-Q respectively.

The eight lawmakers claimed that they had the support of some more PML-Q parliamentarians and 26 members of the Punjab assembly.

The PML-Q has been hit by dissidence since its defeat in the February 18 general election.

Source : PTI