Non-acceptance: Ayaz defends stance on PTI resignations

NA speaker tells SC all resignations needed to be authenticated individually

ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq defended on Friday the return of PTI lawmakers to the assembly after a 126-day-long sit-in last year.

Submitting a concise statement in the Supreme Court, he stated that just tendering resignation did not automatically imply its implementation.

The apex court was adjudicating on a petition filed by former PML-N Senator Zafar Ali Shah against the orders of Islamabad High Court (IHC), which ruled that deciding on the resignation of any legislator fell in the exclusive domain of the speaker.

NA speaker on Friday contended that a sealed envelope was received by the Secretary NA in August of 2014 from PTI MNAs. The envelope contained resignation of 31 members belonging to PTI.

He submitted that the resignations of lawmakers, including PTI Chairman Imran Khan, were not addressed to the Speaker NA as was required under Rule 43 (2) (a) of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007.

The speaker directed all PTI members, who apparently resigned, to individually meet him and verify the authenticity of each resignation.

All MNAs except Imran Khan met him (the speaker), but all of them confined themselves to the Speaker’s lounge. They did not enter the chamber despite repeated attempts by the deputy speaker and the secretary NA to persuade them to meet the speaker in his chamber.

All PTI members left the parliament house without verifying their resignations, the speaker said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2016.