PTI directs MNAs to not partake in resignation verification process

ISLAMABAD: The PTI leadership has directed its members of the National Assembly not to participate in the process of verification of resignations which is scheduled to start from June 6, sources told Geo News Tuesday.

According to the sources, the PTI leadership has instructed its lawmakers to not meet Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf who has asked the MNAs to appear in person and verify their resignations.

The sources said that the party leadership has told the members that since they have resigned so no further action is required in this regard.

NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf had on Monday summoned the PTI legislators individually from June 6 to 10 and confirm their resignation. The NA Secretariat has sent letters to all the PTI MNAs who tendered resignations on April 11.

The speaker has invited the MNAs in pursuance of paragraph (b) of Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007.

A spokesperson of the National Assembly said that the verification of 30 MNAs’ resignations would be held on a daily basis and every member would get five minutes for the verification of his or her resignation.

“The government aimed to complete the process by June 10 just before the presentation of the budget for the next fiscal year that was expected to be presented in the National Assembly on the same day.”

It may be recalled that  131  members of the National Assembly belonging to the PTI tendered their resignations en masse to the then deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri last month after the Imran Khan government was ousted through a no-confidence vote. Suri had accepted the resignations and issued the notification.

Later on, the newly elected Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf de-sealed the resignations of the PTI MNAs and announced to verify them in order to ascertain their veracity.

PTI decides against returning to NA

Separately, in its core committee meeting held in Peshawar, the PTI had a lengthy discussion on the resignation issue and decided against returning to National Assembly forthwith.

It was announced by senior PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Fawad said the government is mulling over accepting resignations on an individual basis.

“If it happens, we will move to the court as the PTI members of National Assembly tendered resignation en masse, so the resignations should also be accepted collectively,” said the former information minister.