PTI MNAs no-show for 3rd straight day

NA speaker says resignations can’t be accepted without clarity

ISLAMABAD:

PTI lawmakers on Wednesday refrained from showing up at National Assembly for the verification of their resignations for the third consecutive day, prompting Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to observe that they could not be accepted without clarity on the matter.

Ashraf had spared five minutes for the verification of the resignations in his chamber. The speaker remarked that there were some rules and regulations for resignations. “If any member resigns, it is my duty to determine that they resigned without any pressure.”

He added that a resignation could not be accepted unless it was clear.

He said among those who had resigned were lawmakers, who are doubtful about the matter.

“Some people have contacted me and I was waiting for the time period to end to make a decision.”

He said that the salaries of these lawmakers were stopped from the time they had resigned.

The speaker added that he had directed for the provision of details of those who had resigned.

He further claimed that he could not find the signatures of the lawmakers on their resignations.  “Therefore, they have to write them by hand.”

Sources said the NA speaker had already spoken to legal experts for this purpose and he would wait for confirmation till June 10, after which he would announce his decision.

While the government has called for verification of the PTI MNAs’ resignations, sources claimed that 30 lawmakers of the former ruling party are unwilling to quit. They added that these lawmakers could directly reach out to the NA speaker to stop the acceptance of their resignations.

Read Chaudhry brothers seem to be parting ways, finally

The sources said the government was currently trying to persuade these lawmakers to reconsider their resignations, for which the coalition partners would contact some hesitant PTI MNAs.

PTI chairman and former premier Imran Khan has made it clear that they would not change their stance.

On April 11 this year, all PTI lawmakers, except party dissidents, had resigned from the National Assembly en masse before the scheduled voting began for electing new prime minister.

The 135 MNAs gave their resignations – albeit some of them half-heartedly – after the PTI’s parliamentary party meeting that was presided over by the party chairman in a committee room at Parliament House.

The new government made it clear that the resignations could not be considered valid unless they were verified, and recently, the NA Secretariat sent letters to all those who resigned on April 11.

In light of Paragraph (b) of Sub Rule (2) of Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, each lawmaker would get five minutes to individually confirm if they resigned voluntarily.

The issue of PTI lawmakers wanting to take back their resignations had surfaced after PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq revealed on the floor of the house that several MNAs of the former ruling party had called him to convey that their resignations should not be accepted as they were given under pressure.