AL-Khelafat deal a bad news for democrats

"Giving alems power to issue fatwa that would override the laws made by elected members would be to hand over rights that belong to the people, not to any Party," reads Avebury's statement issued on Tuesday.

The promise of blasphemy law is also a backward step, threatening religious minorities and secularists, and creating a weapon that will be used in private disputes as in Pakistan, he notes.

Terming mystery the AL's choosing to line up with 'these reactionaries', Lord Avebury said, "I hope members of the Party, and others in the Alliance, will repudiate a deal that has been made behind their backs."