NA postpones resolutions seeking to de-seat PTI lawmakers
Resolutions seek to de-seat 28 PTI members who remained absent from the lower house for 40 consecutive days
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly deferred on Tuesday two resolutions moved by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to de-seat Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians for a week, Radio Pakistan reported.
Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah expressed his support to the advice of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to postpone voting over the issue and amicably resolve the matter outside the NA.
Read: Post-inquiry: Govt seeks PTI apology over rigging charges
“The government is acting positively on the issue and wants to resolve it with a positive mind-set,” Dar told parliamentarians.
During the NA session, the finance minister presented the agreement between the PTI and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on the constitution of the judicial inquiry commission to probe alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
Dar also presented the judicial commission’s report before Parliament for discussion.
Earlier, the resolution was momentarily deferred upon the request of Shah who wished to discuss the issue with the finance minister.
However, some parliamentarians were in no mood to spare the PTI lawmakers of harsh criticism and demanded that the PTI MNAs be de-seated immediately.
Read: Lawyers urge PTI to stop maligning judges over inquiry commission’s report
MQM lawmakers Asif Hasnain, Kunwar Naveed Jamil and Rashid Godail said this is not a petty issue and should be resolved according to the law and Constitution.
However, MNAs Jamshed Dasti and Sahibzada Tariqullah urged JUI-F and MQM to withdraw their resolutions for the sake of democracy.
Further, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai suggested that action should also be taken against the MQM over their support to dharna.
"MQM should apologise over their support to dharna participants," he demanded.
In response, MQM leader Abdul Rashid Godail clarified that his party only arranged food for dharna participants on humanitarian grounds.
Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded that a decision on the resolutions be taken immediately.
Read: Imran’s poll rigging drive must be probed: Iftikhar Chaudhry
The PTI leader said demands were made that PTI lawmakers should come to Parliament and play their role, and they now want to play a positive role as their party had already accepted the decision of the judicial commission.
The National Assembly deferred on Tuesday two resolutions moved by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to de-seat Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians for a week, Radio Pakistan reported.
Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah expressed his support to the advice of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to postpone voting over the issue and amicably resolve the matter outside the NA.
Read: Post-inquiry: Govt seeks PTI apology over rigging charges
“The government is acting positively on the issue and wants to resolve it with a positive mind-set,” Dar told parliamentarians.
During the NA session, the finance minister presented the agreement between the PTI and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on the constitution of the judicial inquiry commission to probe alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
Dar also presented the judicial commission’s report before Parliament for discussion.
Earlier, the resolution was momentarily deferred upon the request of Shah who wished to discuss the issue with the finance minister.
However, some parliamentarians were in no mood to spare the PTI lawmakers of harsh criticism and demanded that the PTI MNAs be de-seated immediately.
Read: Lawyers urge PTI to stop maligning judges over inquiry commission’s report
MQM lawmakers Asif Hasnain, Kunwar Naveed Jamil and Rashid Godail said this is not a petty issue and should be resolved according to the law and Constitution.
However, MNAs Jamshed Dasti and Sahibzada Tariqullah urged JUI-F and MQM to withdraw their resolutions for the sake of democracy.
Further, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai suggested that action should also be taken against the MQM over their support to dharna.
"MQM should apologise over their support to dharna participants," he demanded.
In response, MQM leader Abdul Rashid Godail clarified that his party only arranged food for dharna participants on humanitarian grounds.
Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded that a decision on the resolutions be taken immediately.
Read: Imran’s poll rigging drive must be probed: Iftikhar Chaudhry
The PTI leader said demands were made that PTI lawmakers should come to Parliament and play their role, and they now want to play a positive role as their party had already accepted the decision of the judicial commission.