Four more lawmakers submit resignations

After two resignations of an MNA and an MPA from Sargodha on Monday, four more parliamentarians, including the Khokhar brothers, who were upset over the FIA raid at their residence, submitted their resignations to the PML-N leadership on Tuesday, in line with the PDM strategy of tendering resignations from assemblies to dislodge the PTI-led government.

According to details, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Malik Afzal Khokar and his brother Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Saiful Malook Khokhar submitted their resignations to party’s de facto head Maryam Nawaz.

Both the leaders said that they accept the decision of the party leadership of resigning from assemblies and have handed over their respective resignations to be used by the party, whenever it feels right. The FIA, on Sunday, had raided the Khokhar brothers’ residence in connection with a probe against them on charges of money laundering and land grabbing. Further, the Anti-Corruption Establishment had also recently registered a case against Malik Saif Khokhar for land grabbing.

Later in the day, MPA Iftakhar Chacher from Okara and MNA Muhammad Bashir Virk from Gujranwala also submitted their resignations to the party. MNA Iftakhar’s residence was raided by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recently to recover his car, which had allegedly transported shopping bags filled with stones outside the NAB office during Maryam’s call-up notice. On Monday, MNA from Sargodha Hamid Hameed and MPA Rana Munawar Ghous, both from Sargodha, submitted their resignations to the party leadership.

Talking to the media before the PDM decisions were announced, PML-N leader Azma Bukhari said that the party had not asked its lawmakers to hand in their resignations but the party leaders are submitting them voluntarily.

Later in the day after the PDM meeting, it was announced that all members of assemblies of the constituent parties of the PDM, will submit their resignations by December 31 to their party leadership.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Azma confirmed that the six parliamentarians had submitted their resignations. She said that on Wednesday (today), she and her husband, both members of the Punjab Assembly would submit their resignations to the party leadership.