Pakistan

PTI should not be allowed in Parliament, insists defence minister

Asif asks NA speaker to clarify whether PTI resignations have been accepted, says defending Parliament is his right

Web Desk April 07, 2015

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. PHOTO: REUTERS

Adamant that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should not sit in Parliament, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has urged the National Assembly speaker to clarify the position on the resignations of the party’s MNAs.

“NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq should ask the PTI to clarify whether they withdraw their resignations or not,” the defence minister said, on Express News host Javed Chaudhry’s show on Tuesday.

Read: PTI lawmakers return amid slurs and walkouts

Unflinching from his statement that Imran Khan and his party's MNAs should not have participated in the joint session of Parliament on Yemen crisis on Tuesday, Asif said, “To defend the honour of the Parliament is my right.”

“I still standby my stance, what I have done is correct,” he said.

PTI lawmakers faced a hostile reception on Monday and were even labelled as “strangers” as they ended their over seven-month long absence from Parliament and attended the session on the Yemen crisis.

Read: PTI ends boycott of Parliament

The party’s lawmakers had handed in their resignations en masse on August 22, 2014 – a week after the party began its sit-in campaign in Islamabad against alleged rigging in the May 2013 general elections. The resignations were, however, not accepted due to the intervention of an opposition parties’-led political Jirga.

Asif, criticising PTI members in Parliament on Monday, said, “They (the PTI) should be asked one by one whether they had resigned. They should have some decency, morality and ethics as they abused Parliament for seven months and are still saying that this assembly is a product of rigging,” he said.

Read: Joint session of Parliament on Yemen crisis adjourned till tomorrow

On Friday, the government issued a presidential decree sanctioning the setting up of a judicial commission to investigate the party’s vote fraud allegations. And 48 hours later, the party’s core committee decided to return to the national and provincial assemblies.

COMMENTS (13)

raider | 9 years ago | Reply @Ch. Allah Daad: truth of liar is always based on hypocracy, you have proved that

Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply Talking about honour, what about NS's statement while standing in the parliament regarding Army's involvement during PTIs sit-in.

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Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply It's a constitutional violation to allow PTI members in the house. Not only they should be kicked out of the house, the Speaker of the House should be removed too. Khawaja Asif should also demand resignation of Speaker.

Sandip | 9 years ago | Reply @Timorlane: What he had said about them was very less. They should have been tried under article 6 for treason.

GS@Y | 9 years ago | Reply Bravo to Khwaja Asif for naming and shaming the opportunist PTI oath-breakers! It was a lot of fun to watch. It may not have been politic, but it was definitely good politics. The helpless, stricken looks on the faces of PTI members were memorable to witness. At least someone spoke to them in their 'container' language to their faces.

IMTIAZ SYED | 9 years ago | Reply Resignations were not accepted and return to parliment revokes such resignations. An absence of more than 40 Days-Rule is not applicable as valid walk out protest for upholding an equittable cause is a duty in service of democracy. Defense minister Asif is aimlessly shooting at blue sky.

Joe | 9 years ago | Reply @Timorlane: And the country armed forces have a very clean past.

Blithe | 9 years ago | Reply Well done Khwaja Asif! You spoke for all of us . What is the difference between pti and the rebels in Yemen , except that the Hothis may actually have a cause beyond self engrandisment. Thank you for calling a spade a spade avnd putting these pti miscreants in their place .

PTI Wala | 9 years ago | Reply Wrong decision of immature PTI politicians. PTI has become a laughing stock.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply Imran come out of this parliament, commission is not going to do anything with rigging or fraud in election, and judiciary is too weak to work independently and in accordance with jurisprudence of law, Imran you will to come out of it. peoples a peculiar section of educated class would never second this step and even parliament of these thugs, now they will in union vowing to make your arrangement permanently in politics either rigging in next or by others means, there is nothing in parliament it is even low than rubber-stamp term, we are with you till last breath but you will have to come out of this parliament

Timorlane | 9 years ago | Reply Wow and a "defence minister" who sides with a media house in defaming country's armed forces should be allowed to remain the "defence minister". What a heap of hypocrite thugs we've got in the name of this fraid democracy

Zain | 9 years ago | Reply Imran Khan, you have done so much for the country. Please stand firm against all these corrupt people. Please don't give up. We are with you and will always with you. You are last hope for million people like me. You sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mother are all praying for your success. Allah gives respects whom he wants and disrespects whom he wants.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply yes, parliament is only for thugs and looters

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