PTI to present before NA Speaker for acceptance of resignations on Dec 28
Pakistan
PTI to present before NA Speaker for acceptance of resignations on Dec 28
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The fiasco of resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the National Assembly (NA) is expected to settle down as the PTI members of national assembly (MNAs) will present before Speaker NA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for acceptance of their resignations on Dec 28.
Sources said that PTI members would gather at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House and PTI chief Imran Khan would address the gathering via video link. “Shah Mehmood Qureshi will lead the PTI in the parliament”, sources added.
Earlier, the NA speaker accepted the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs including former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, ex-interior minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah, ex-state minister for parliamentary affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and ex-state minister for information and broadcasting Farrukh Habib, under Article 64 (1) of the Constitution exactly 109 days after they resigned from their seats.
The PTI alleged that Mr Ashraf accepted resignations of the selective PTI members as part of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)’s political strategy. The PTI in turn moved the apex court against the Speaker s decision.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) asked the PTI whether the party would resign from the assembly if the SC ordered the speaker to accept resignations tendered by the PTI members.
The apex court was hearing PTI chief Imran Khan’s plea against amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked whether the PTI leaders were still members of the National Assembly.
Khwaja Harris, a lawyer representing Mr Khan, said the PTI MNAs had tendered their resignations from the assembly. The PTI won by-elections on some seats left vacant after resignations while the NA speaker did not accept the resignations on other seats following government’s political strategy, he argued.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked it was the PTI’s constitutional right to resign from the assembly, saying no assembly seat must be left vacant. The PTI members were drawing salaries for the assembly memberships but were not attending the assembly sessions, he said.
Khwaja Harris replied that the members whose resignations were accepted did not face the speaker. He said the speaker accepted some resignations without following the code of conduct.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked why the speaker did not accept all the resignations at once. He said the members who did not agree with the speaker’s orders must raise an objection.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked whether the PTI was ready to resign from the assembly if the SC ordered the NA speaker to accept resignations. The PTI’s counsel replied in the affirmative.
