ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy has submitted an adjournment motion to the National Assembly Secretariat seeking debate on the issue of the arrest of armymen for their alleged connection with “terrorist” groups, sources told Dawn on Monday.

The sources said the motion, signed by four opposition MNAs, had sought debate on the subject as “it was an important issue related to Pakistan’s security.”

The motion has been signed by PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, secretary-general of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chaudhry Aitezaz Ahsan and Syed Naveed Qamar.

The MNAs said the reports that the FBI was interrogating at least three armymen for their alleged links with “extremist or terrorist organizations” had caused grave concern among the people of the country. “The people want to know the real situation”, said an opposition member while talking to Dawn in the Parliament House on Monday.

“This is the result of our support to the US in its so-called war against terrorism,” said one of the MNAs of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

Secretary of the ARD parliamentary group, Izhar Amrohvi, when contacted, confirmed that the motion on the issue had been filed by the opposition alliance on Monday afternoon.

The acting PML-N president, Javed Hashmi, said under the rules it was the discretion of the speaker to choose the timing to allow an adjournment motion to be introduced before the House for discussion. However, he said, keeping in view the serious nature of the issue, the speaker should immediately present the motion for a debate.