ISLAMABAD: The opposition senators, mainly from the PPP, expressed fears on Monday that a 1977-like situation was being created in an attempt to wrap up democracy.

The PPP`s parliamentary leader, Raza Rabbani, warned that the federation would cease to exist in its present shape if attempts to change the democratic set-up succeeded.

The senators also questioned the government`s `inaction and silence` over the prevailing situation in the wake of the ongoing fighting between media groups and launching of a movement by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) against the alleged rigging in last year`s general elections.

`This time, the federation, and not the constitution, is at stake,` warned Mr Rabbani while initiating a debate on the political situation.

`If any attempt is made to change the present setup to a presidential, Amirul Momineen or dictatorial form of government, the country`s survival will be difficult.

Without naming the PTI, Mr Rabbani said that in a systematic way and as a first step, elections werebeing questioned and as a result the entire parliament was being made `redundant` He said all institutions functioning under the constitution, be it the Election Commission or the judiciary, were being made controversial.

The PPP senator said elections were made controversial in a similar fashion in 1977 and a movement was launched by the then opposition alliance (Pakistan National Alliance) which was later given a religious turn.

`Today again, we are facing almost the same situation,` he said, reminding the upper house of the imposition of martial law by Gen Ziaul Haq after violent protests by the opposition following the 1977 elections.

`Will the federation continue to maintain its geographical boundaries,` he asked.

Mr Rabbani said that on the one hand insurgency was going on in Balochistan and, on the other, `religious extremism and sectarianism` were breeding in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that once again Islam was being used to further political agendas.

`If the system is changed then whatever you may call it, there will be dictatorship. If there is dictatorship then the provincial autonomy and devolution process will be rolled back.

This will cause a sense of deprivation among the provinces. Then there will be polarisation which will cause intolerance and lead to violence in the country.

Mr Rabbani said time had come to recognise that Pakistan was a `multi-ethnic state with diversity`. The efforts made to create a `forced unity` had not succeeded in the past and would not succeed in future, he added.

PPP`s Saeed Ghani criticised the government for what he called becoming a silent spectator. He termed it a `criminal silence`.

`Did you (the government) investigate who is behind these banned outfits holding rallies and public meetings in support of an institution,` he asked.

Mr Ghani also criticised the PTI for expressing no-confidence in the Election Commission and the judiciary. He recalled that when the Supreme Court disqualified former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani through what he called an `unconstitutional and illegal verdict` Imran Khan backed the judiciary, but was now agitating against it only for not taking up his petitions.

MEDIA WAR: About the ongoing controversy following the airing of an objec-tionable programme on a TV channel`s morning show and registration of cases against it, Mr Ghani said the government had left the matter to be decided by `maulvis`. `They always exploit religious sentiments,` he alleged.

Referring to the war of words between the media groups, PPP`s Farhatullah Babar said democracy and parliament would face threats if media became wealc. He suggested that a house committee be formed to recommend steps to resolve the controversy, which arose after an armed attack on senior journalist Hamid Mir last month.

Recalling the situation in the country after the 1977 elections, Abdul Rauf of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, without naming the army, said: `If democracy is derailed, no democratic political party will support you and then you will see how the country will suffer.

He called for learning a lesson from the 1971EastPakistan tragedy.

Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the PPP would not support a ban on any media group. He criticised the government for not coming into action and putting the lives of employees of the Geo group in danger.

The Senate will continue debate on the motion on Tuesday evening.