ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League-Q staged a token walkout from the joint session of the Parliament for not being allowed by the Speaker National Assembly to speak on a point of order regarding horse-trading in Punjab. As President Asif Ali Zardari, Speaker National Assembly and Chairman Senate took their seats in the National Assembly, PML-Q Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat asked the Speaker to allow him speak on a point of order. However, the Speaker did not allow him and told the PML-Q leader that as per assembly rules no other business could be held during the President's address to the joint session. With the Speaker's refusal, PML-Q lawmakers, including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the president of the party, got up from their seats while some its MPs, particularly Senator Jamal Leghari and Marvi Memon, started chanting anti-horse-trading slogans. The Speaker asked Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to sit down and being a senior parliamentarian should respect the sanctity of the Parliament and should not exhibit such behaviour in front of the foreign dignitaries and senior officials attending the session. As the President Asif Ali Zardari headed towards the podium for addressing the joint session of the Parliament, the PML-Q legislators, raising slogans against horse-trading, walked out. Federal ministers Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Syed Khurshid Ali Shah, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Dr Babar Awan, Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik and others went to the PML-Q leaders and urged them to end their walkout and rejoin the session. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced to call off the boycott after the ministers assured him that the President would also make an announcement regarding horse-trading. Talking to the journalists, PML-Q leader Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said that they had boycotted the proceedings in protest to the anti-democratic practice of horse-trading in Punjab and Balochistan. Faisal alleged that PML-Q forward blocs in both the provinces had been formed either by harassing them or making lucrative offers to them for change of loyalties. "You see, both the political parties have signed the Charter of Democracy (CoD) which is totally against anti-democratic practices such as horse-trading. We want an immediate end to such practices", he observed. Earlier, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had announced to stage a token walkout from the session of the National Assembly during address of President Asif Ali Zardari to the joint sitting of the parliament. Talking to media men on Saturday after the parliamentarian meeting of the party, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had told that his party members would stage a token walkout in protest against horse-trading in Balochistan and Punjab. He said that members of his party were being hijacked and worst form of horse-trading was taking place during the tenure of this government. He also demanded an immediate end to such a practice. Later, talking to media after the presidential address, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain demanded of the government to immediately revoke the Governor's Rule in Punjab, summon the Punjab Assembly session on Sunday at 4:00pm and let the assembly choose its Leader of the House. "Since the PPP is in support to the PML-N's nominee for the Punjab top slot, the President should now summon Punjab Assembly on Sunday and let it elect a new leader of the House," he added. Talking to the journalists, PML-Q leader Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat criticised the federal government for not implementing the announcements made by President Asif Zardari in his first address to the parliament, saying that the government had violated the roadmap announced by the president for implementing the Charter of Democracy (CoD). "We also staged a boycott of the presidential address just to mark our protest against horse-trading by both the majority parties and called off it only after assurances from the treasury benches for action against the violation of CoD," he added. However, Faisal noted with concern that the President did not give any plan for ending the politics of horse-trading. He alleged that both the major parties, PPP and PML-N, were not sincere in implementing the CoD and were only interested in point scoring over it. "If the government were to revoke the Governor's Rule, why this anti-democratic step had been taken and why the people of Punjab had been made hostage to such a confrontation," he argued. Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat also said the government's steps were meaningless as the Governor's Rule had resulted into political confrontation. Amir Muqam, the President of PML-Q NWFP, said that the president did not even utter even a single word against drone attacks in the NWFP and tribal areas. He also lamented for not making any announcement by the President for a special package for the people of Fata and NWFP in the manner of Balochistan. Meanwhile, PML-N MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique Saturday termed the address of President Asif Ali Zardari to the joint setting of the Parliament as falling short of the speech of a head of the state and said his party had reservations on it. Saad Rafique while talking to media persons at Parliament House said, "The Speech of Asif Ali Zardari was stereo type and he could not fulfil the promises made in his previous speech." He said the President in his speech hadn't given any roadmap for the repeal of 17th Amendment, adding Zardari hadn't announced the lifting of Governor' Rule in Punjab, rather had given only recommendation in that regard. PML-N Senior Vice President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that he was a little bit disappointed from President's speech, as he was expecting the announcement regarding provincial autonomy. He termed the address of President Zardari as balanced one. He stressed upon the reconciliation process and said if the process remained continued, the new doors of prosperity and unity would open. He said that unity was a magic stick, which could strengthen the democracy in the country. In spite of all reservation of the PML-N, the address would open doors for development of democracy, he said, adding, "We want to move the process of reconciliation and would welcome all the political parties in this regard."