At least 11 PTI MNAs refuse to resign from lower house

Insiders claim they are resentful of being made scapegoats.

PESHAWAR: At least 11 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have refused to tender their resignation from the lower house over differences with the party’s central leadership, insiders told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.

Most of the National Assembly lawmakers have objected to why only the National Assembly members are being asked to resign.

“The question is why the leadership has been reluctant to obtain resignations from the PTI K-P MPAs,” an MNA said while requesting anonymity. He, however, snubbed reports of the formation of any forward bloc of the PTI in the National Assembly as baseless.

“We were called for a meeting where we were told to tender resignations. Why are we being made scapegoats?” the MNA said, adding they were not taken onboard before the decision was taken.

Earlier on Monday, PTI MNA Gulzar Khan also denied the presence of any pressure group within the party, but stressed they will not resign from the national legislature at any cost.

“I have not been able to attend party meetings since [last] Thursday due to ill health, but let me confirm that we don’t have any group or forward bloc within the party. I don’t know the exact number but some 12, 13 or 14 National Assembly members will not resign,” Khan told The Express Tribune.

Speculation was rife that Khan had tendered his resignation from the lower house, but when contacted on Wednesday, Khan clarified he has not submitted his resignation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2014.