Amendments to Army Act: Over 25 PML-N MNAs supported bill with 'heavy heart': Mushahid

After getting orders from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, the MNAs belonging to the party on Tuesday decided to vote in favor of the Army Amendment Bill with a 'heavy heart' as they had serious reservations on the amendment.

Talking to Business Recorder, senior PML-N leader Senator Mushahidullah Khan confirmed that over 25 members expressed serious reservations over party top leadership's decision to vote in favor of the bill.

He said that since the orders came directly from Mian Nawaz Sharif who is undergoing medical treatment in London, the lawmakers had no option but to proceed with the orders of the party's top command.

"A large number of MNAs expressed serious reservations but they'd to vote in favor of the bill as Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] had ordered," he added. The incarcerated party leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi skipped the meeting of the parliamentary party as NA Speaker had issued his production orders, because he didn't want to vote on the bill unconditionally, the sources said.

The sources within PML-N said that Shehbaz Sharif had asked Abbasi to attend the meeting of the party's parliamentary committee on Tuesday but he opted not to become part of the voting process on the bill.

During the meeting, the sources said that senior leadership reiterated its earlier decision of supporting the bills as decided by top party leadership despite many lawmakers' reservations.

Former defense minister and senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif reminded the dissenters that all are bound to follow the party policy. Prior to the crucial National Assembly session, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also held a meeting of the party's parliamentary committee to chalk out a strategy for the legislation.

PM Imran Khan himself chaired the meeting of the committee and its allied parties. All MNAs were directed to ensure their presence in the assembly during the ongoing session. The sources said that the lawmakers of PTI and its allied parties complained to the Prime Minister that they are not getting adequate funds for development in their constituencies.

They said that the people of the area are not happy with the government as no development scheme has been lunched in their areas due to non-release of funds. On this, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said that MNAs should not be given any development fund which drew flak from fellow parliamentarians. The lawmakers said the "MNA from Jhelum has got funds released for constriction of a canal in his own constituency but is giving "fatwa that other MNAs should not be given any fund."

They said that Chaudhry should forego the funds released for construction of a canal in his area if he thinks that development funds are "haram" for MNAs. Meanwhile, federal ministers Pervez Khattak and Azam Swati met with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders and requested them to help maintain a peaceful environment in the assembly during the Prime Minister's presence.