Imran has 116 MNAs to push for resignations

ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has managed to disrupt the PTI's plan by adjourning the lower house for an indefinite period after the latter came up with a new strategy -- 116 members to tender their resignations from the House together.

PTI chairman and former premier Imran Khan’s decision about the dissolution of the provincial assemblies and resignations from the NA has caused a stir in the ruling coalition.

As Imran has announced that his party’s MNAs would tender their resignations again, the number of the remaining PTI lawmakers in the lower house has reduced from 155 to 116.

A total of 21 defecting MNAs of the PTI have opted to remain on the opposition benches.

Three MNAs of the party have not tendered their resignations.

Apart from the seven seats won by Imran, 10 seats of the PTI are empty as the party’s Mahmood Moulvi, Nadeem Khayal Khan and Shandana Gulzar Khan are yet to take oath.

The membership cases of PTI members Abdul Shakoor Shad and Mohammedmian Soomro are still pending in court and three seats are vacant because of Imran's disqualification.

Now, the PTI chief has just 116 MNAs under his belt to play as a bargaining chip.

The reason for the sudden postponement of the longest session of the NA on Tuesday is said to be the PTI’s announcement of resignations from the House.

The NA speaker has accepted the resignations of only 11 PTI members so far. The resignations of the others have not been accepted yet.

To step up the pressure on the government, the PTI has prepared a plan to announce the resignations of its MNAs again.

By adjourning the session indefinitely, the speaker has thwarted the immediate implementation of the PTI's plan.

On the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi had called the session of the NA on November 3.

The government had decided to extend the session, but the PTI MNAs planned to tender their resignations on or before December 20.

After learning about this plan, the government adjourned the session for an indefinite period so that the PTI MNAs would be unable to tender their resignations.

In the past, letters were written to the PTI members, who had resigned individually to confirm before the speaker.

However, none of them appeared before him.

The salaries of the resigned members have been stopped but they are still present in the Parliament Lodges.

Only 15 sittings were held during the last month and a half -- 11 in November and only four days in December.

When the NA speaker was asked that was the session postponed because of the PTI members’ expected arrival and would their resignations be accepted, he replied that he would see when he came to the House.

“I will decide on the resignations when the time comes,” he added.