'Step backward for democracy': Govt, opposition trade barbs after Durrani's arrest.

The war of words between the opposition and the government continued on Thursday in the Parliament as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) heavyweight Khursheed Shah termed the arrest of Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani a step backwards for democracy in Pakistan.

Durrani was arrested from Islamabad on Wednesday and is accused of illegal appointments and accumulating assets beyond known sources of income by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Shah lambasted the incumbent government and said jails of the country 'are made to punish politicians'.

Expressing his displeasure over recent developments which have increased pressure on the party, Shah maintained that the Parliament is supreme and above all institutions of the country and plays a constitutionally mandated role in the country.

Condemning the arrest of the senior party leader, the former NA speaker said the party's protest should not be mistaken for a mere 'war of words'.

Recalling the 'sacrifices' of the party, Shah said former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had laid down her life for the nation while her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, laid down the foundations for a nuclear Pakistan.

'Misplaced...