Interestingly, the parties who, for the recent months have been raising their voices for civilian supremacy and giving respect to the vote – the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – gave their support to the bill, much to the surprise and dismay of their supporters.
Supporters of both parties took to Twitter to express dismay over the parties they support giving their approval to the amendment bill.
One user commented that Pakistan's two largest parties, the PPP and the PML-N, had lost their ideological activists. He added that these politicians placed themselves and democracy at the tip of the shoe (a reference to the military) with their own hands.
https://twitter.com/SkAssakzai/status/1214542056552579074?s=20
Another user viewed that democracy was for the powerful, by the powerful and to the powerful. He added that PML-N and PPP were power players in the race of being ‘selected’.
https://twitter.com/AnalysisWithSIK/status/1214511768007041026?s=20
A PPP supporter said that the party was no more than a party of its words.
https://twitter.com/ISpeakHenceIAm/status/1214441849127153665?s=20
Another PPP supported stated that PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto had been a disappointment, and that he was extremely disappointed to witness his leader’s compromised stance.
https://twitter.com/ialisqizil/status/1214548469622493186?s=20
“PPP is not running on Bhutto’s ideology anymore,” another supporter opined.
https://twitter.com/doctorbatsunen/status/1214530019042701313?s=20
One supporter said that he did not have any justification for his party’s stance on the act.
https://twitter.com/Mubashiraijaz/status/1214518802161000448?s=20
PML-N supporters also received criticism for its support of the act. A user stated that the journey from ‘vote ko izzat do’ (give respect to the vote), which is a popular slogan of the PML-N, to ‘vote ko extension do’ (give extension to the vote), was an eye opener for the people.
https://twitter.com/Nabya18/status/1214457483835641858?s=20
One supporter thanked PML-N for showing its true face, and lamented how much time he had wasted arguing with PTI supporters.
https://twitter.com/Hassan27786763/status/1214469011548839937?s=20
Another supporter criticised the PML-N for letting their voter down.
https://twitter.com/TNiazi16/status/1214549319921090560?s=20
One Twitter user stated that PML-N’s support of the act had left him speechless, adding that democracy had suffered a blow.
https://twitter.com/AhsenJamali/status/1214539782619049985?s=20