LAHORE, Jan 5: Last Friday's meeting of PML-N MPAs with the chief minister was discussed in the Punjab Assembly on Monday.

PML-N's Shaikh Amjad Aziz said that he along with seven other colleagues had met the CM to seek an NoC for his treatment abroad at government expense. But a handout issued by the government "wrongly" claimed that they had raised the issue of development schemes in their respective constituencies, he added.

This, he said, had damaged their political standing. Law minister Raja Basharat said the statement was based on facts and that they had intentionally omitted Mr Shaikh's request for his treatment in a bid to save him from bad repute that he had met the CM for personal gains and not for his constituents.

PML-N parliamentary leader Rana Sanaullah said the eight MPAs had taken permission from him for the meeting. He, however, alleged that a couple of officers in the directorate of public relations were flatterers and they had issued the press statement with mala fide intentions.

He asked how could PML-N members could raise the issue with the province's chief executive when a committee had already been formed under him to identify development schemes in their constituencies.

Raja Basharat, however, said that he was ready to say under oath that applications had been submitted by opposition members with the CM for the release of development funds for their respective constituencies.

The speaker did not allow them to continue the debate and directed the members to proceed with the discussion on various amendments introduced in the New Murree Development Authority Bill. The house rejected 21 amendments as the proceedings were adjourned for Tuesday at 10.00am.

Raja Shafqat Abbasi urged the government not to develop the new township on state land as it had centuries old trees. Instead, he said, the government should acquire a private land at various points to minimize the loss of trees.

The step, he said, would also ameliorate the lot of area's people.Raja Basharat assured the house that the government was already conscious of the fact and had hired foreign consultants to see that no serious damage was done to environment.

Ehsanullah Waqas and other MMA members sought an amendment to the bill to specify the land for the township so that general public could not be hoodwinked by swindlers as had been the case of New Islamabad City.

The law minister said that people were defrauded of their assets in the past only because intentions of the government of that time were also malicious.