ISLAMABAD, June 24: Some members of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) have complained to party chairperson Benazir Bhutto that they were not allowed by senior party leaders to point out quorum during the budget session of the National Assembly, sources told Dawn here on Thursday.

The sources said the members had particularly mentioned the names of Syed Khursheed Shah and Syed Naveed Qamar, who represented the party in the business advisory committee meeting before the start of every session, and held both of them responsible for the "weak opposition show" during the budget session.

They told Ms Bhutto that both the senior party leaders had agreed to the terms of the government without taking members into confidence. It may be mentioned that during the parliamentary party meeting of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) held in the Parliament House before the start of the National Assembly session on Wednesday, several PPP members criticized both Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar for their role in the business advisory committee.

Both of them were accused by the PPP MNAs of violating the instructions of Ms Bhutto by not allowing them to point out quorum throughout the budget session.

The PPP MNAs said before start of the budget session, they had been directed to remain present in the House to give a tough time to the government at every stage of the budget. However, they said, it was surprising for them when the speaker announced that it had been agreed in the business advisory committee meeting that every mover of the cut motion would not be allowed to speak.

A PPP parliamentarian said never ever in the country's history, the Opposition got such a large number of seats in the assembly. However, he said, whenever cut motions were presented before the House in the past, the governments had to face a tough time.

He said in the present budget session, the whole opposition played the role of a "friendly opposition" and the PPP had no right to give this title to the MMA.