Amendment to Army Act: Chaudhry brothers fail to convince Fazl for support

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain along with Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi held a meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to convince him to support amendment to Army Act, but failed to get support from him. Chaudhry Shujaat and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi along with Hafiz Ammar Yasir met the Maulana at his residence on Sunday.

Talking to media persons after the meeting, Fazlur Rehman said his party’s executive committee had already stated in detail that the JUI-F could not support this bill.

“The JUI-F’s stance is clear that this assembly is fake so we did not want to give it a right to legislate,” he said. He said his party was formulating next strategy as the JUI-F will not support the bill.

The Maulana said the JUI-F feels that the government was trying to make the Army controversial. “The government has showed incompetence in removing legal flaws from the law,” he said.

The JUI-F chief said there are many ambiguities in the draft law and the urgency with which the legislation is being passed, will create more ambiguity. “The government did not discuss the proposed bill with the opposition,” he said.

The Maulana confirmed that he made contact with Shahbaz Sharif and complained that his party did not take other opposition parties into confidence. Fazlur Rehman said if the law can be passed in six months, then the assembly can be dissolved and new elections can also be held and it has been conveyed to Chaudhry brothers.