To verify resignations: NA speaker to call PTI MNAs from June 6

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf has started the process of verifying resignations of PTI MNAs with summoning them individually from June 6 to 10.

The National Assembly 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.

The National Assembly Secretariat spokesman said that on a daily basis, the verification of 30 MNAs’ resignations would be held 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. 

According to list, shared by the National Assembly Secretariat, five MNAs of the PTI were not mentioned in the list of those of who resigned which indicates that they did not tendered resignations. The MNAs are Muhammad Mian Somoro of NA-196, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, NA-115, Salah Muhammad, NA-13, Maher Ghulam Muhammad Lali Khan, NA-99, and Mir Muhammad Khan jamali, NA-261. Jawad Hussain from NA-47 has requested to call him before accepting his resignation.

Separately, in its core-committee meeting held in Peshawar, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf had a lengthy discussion on resignations issue, and decided against returning to National Assembly forthwith. It was announced by senior PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Fawad said government is mulling over accepting resignations on individual basis. “If it happens, we will move to the court as the PTI members National Assembly tendered resignation en masse, so the resignations should also be accepted collectively,” said the former information minister.

It may be recalled that more than 100 members of National Assembly belonging to the PTI tendered their resignations en masse to the then deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri. Suri accepted the resignations and forwarded to the Election Commission for the further process.

Later on, the newly elected Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf de-sealed the resignations of the PTI MNAs. Former Senate chairman Wasim Sajjad, meanwhile, said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should return to the Parliament and that is not only good for the party but also country.

Talking to the Geo TV porgramme “Capital Talk” hosted by senior journalist Hamid Mir, Wasim Sajjad stressed the PTI leadership to return to Parliament. Speaking on the occasion, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the PTI’s leadership, including former PM Imran Khan, federal ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shireen Mazari and Fawad Chaudhry had given their written resignations on the floor addressing to the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Azam Tarar said all four PTI’s lawmakers legally resigned. Legal expert and JUIF Senator Kamran Murtaza said that PTI lawmakers’ resignations would be null and void on technical ground as they were printouts not written by hand. He also urged them to join Parliament.

Separately, talking to the Geo TV porgramme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath,” Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the PTI lawmakers were not serious to resign, saying that if they really wanted to resign just go to Parliament and get their resignations approved.

the PMLN leader and federal minister Khawaja Asif said the PTI lawmakers never wanted to resign from the Parliament, even today they had occupied 85 Parliament and also taking their salaries. He said the government knew that the PTI workers had not just possessed pistols but latest automatic weapons, adding that the former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan had directed his workers to bring weapons along with them. He said the leaders, who were benefitted during the PTI’s four years tenure, were not in the long march.