Resignations of PTI MNAs: NA Speaker says will meet PTI MNAs one by one, not in group

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has declared that the rules of National Assembly are clear on resignations. He said resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members will not be accepted in any way outside the Constitution and law. Even if he wants to, he cannot go outside the Constitution and accept the resignations, he said.

“I will not accept the resignations of PTI in haste, the resignations will be accepted according to rules and regulations,” he said while talking to the media in the Parliament House on Wednesday.

The NA speaker said he waited for the delegation of PTI for a meeting on resignations on Wednesday but they did not turn up.

Now it was agreed with them that they would come today (Thursday) to meet him.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that he was contacted by PTI’s former chief Whip Malik Amir Dogar on phone in Larkana. He said that a representative delegation of PTI wanted to meet him on party members’ resignations.

“Dogar told me that some of the PTI leaders wanted to meet me about their resignations; however, I told him that I will meet all of them separately and not in groups,” added Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The NA speaker further said that the resignations should be written by the lawmakers themselves as per rules, adding that every member was required to write the resignation with their own hands.

During the telephonic conversation, he said Malik Amir Dogar also inquired about his return and the NA speaker informed him that he would return on December 28. “After getting a flight on December 27, I reached Islamabad at night and remained present at the Parliament House office at 10:00 am on Wednesday,” he said.

The NA speaker said he also held a telephonic conversation with Malik Amir to inform him about his presence and told that he had been waiting for the PTI delegation in his office since morning. “Former Chief Whip Malik Amir informed me the PTI delegation would visit the NA Speaker office on Thursday instead of Wednesday,” he said. He said the PTI delegation would now call on him at the Parliament House on Thursday at 11:30 am.

While commenting about the confirmation of PTI MNAs’ resignations, the NA Speaker said that there was a clear procedure for confirmation of resignations in the rules and regulations of the National Assembly and the resignations would be confirmed in accordance with the Constitution and Rules of Business of National Assembly law and rules of the National Assembly.

He said that as the NA Speaker of the National Assembly, he would not commit any act against the Constitution and law. “A PTI member from Karachi submitted an affidavit in the court that he did not resign,” he said.

In response to a question, the NA Speaker said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi was a respectable and seasoned politician and he would be welcomed in Parliament. He also expressed his desire that the members of PTI should return to the assembly and play their constitutional role.

He said parliament is the platform of representatives of 22 crore people and the country’s problems could only be resolved only through this parliament. The NA speaker emphasised the need to think beyond politics for the survival of the country. There is a need to think beyond politics when it comes to the country. He said that we all should work for the survival of the country.

Later, the NA Speaker also visited the memorial of those who sacrificed for the protection of

Constitution and democracy established in Sabzazaar of the Parliament House. The NA speaker expressed his dismay over the poor maintenance and non-standard repair work of the monument. He directed senior officials of the Capital Development Authority to restore the monument to its original condition by completing the renovation and repair work within three weeks.

Media representatives, senior officers of the National Assembly Secretariat and CDA were also present on this occasion.