Accepting resignations: Second group of PTI MPs to be shown the door by next week

ISLAMABAD: The second batch of members of the National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to the PTI whose resignations stand accepted would be announced early next week.

The PTI members tendered their resignations from their membership in April out of protest on vote of no confidence against PTI chairman Imran Khan as prime minister on April 11 this year.

Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf withheld their resignations for verification. Earlier, the deputy speaker Qasim Suri had announced accepting their resignations without following rules and regulations.

The resignations of PTI vice chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Speaker NA Asad Qaisar, deputy speaker Kasim Suri, former ministers Fawad Ahmad Chaudhary, Ms. Zartaj Gul, Pervez Khattak, Asad Umar, Hamad Azhar, Shafqat Mahmood, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi and Murad Saeed could be part of the list to be made public within a week.

The sources said Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf would also consider accepting resignation of PTI chairman Imran Ahmad Niazi as MNA who has publicly announced quitting the house more than once.

The Speaker’s Secretariat has also notified vacation of the 11 NA seats. Well-placed sources told The News here on Friday that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared 11 MNA berths vacant and their by-election schedule would be announced in a day or two.

The by-election on the 11 seats and three other seats including two Punjab Assembly seats is likely to be held in September. Sources point out that the PTI’s strength in the National Assembly which was 155 has now been reduced to 121.

A number of PTI MNAs contacted the NA Speaker since Thursday evening when he announced accepting their resignations.

They impressed upon the speaker not to accept their resignations. According to sources at least two more batches are waiting for their fate to be announced and likel to include those former PTI ministers known for their foul-mouth.

The sources point out that acceptance of the resignations of PTI MNAs, has come as a rude shock for the PTI leadership who were assured by some “people” that their resignations would not be accepted. Now those giving the assurances have become frustrated as it has ruined their strategic planning.