ISLAMABAD: In a series of self-contradictory moves, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf is reported to have accepted 43 more resignations of PTI MNAs, leaving behind only the Raja Riaz led dissident group in the House.
Also read: Accepting PTI resignations exposed terrified PMLN leadership: Sheikh Rashid
MM News has learnt that Raja Pervez Ashraf has not only accepted the resignations, but has also duly forwarded them to the Election Commission of Pakistan for due process, i.e. to de-notify the MNAs.
On April 16, 2022, Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf had directed the assembly secretariat to deal with the resignations of 123 lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) afresh and present them before him so that they could be treated as per law. The resignations had been accepted by Qasim Suri, acting speaker before change of government by way of no-trust move on April 9.
The Speaker had made it clear that since the resignations had been de-sealed, the same needed to be verified for which, he would have to meet the MNAs by calling them individually to his chamber to hold a one-on-one discussion.
However, as soon as the PTI Chairman announced return of PTI to parliament so as to outnumber the Raja Riaz-led dissident group and make some serious moves in future constitutional course of action, Raja Pervez Ashraf started accepting resignations of PTI MNAs without even meeting them as per his own words.
The latest move by the Speaker came just a day after senior PTI leader Asad Umar announced that some 44 PTI MNAs have sent email to Speaker NA, expressing desire to withdraw their resignations. PTI leaders said they wanted to install their own opposition leader in order to enter into constitutional business related to the NA business and future course of action.
Also read: 44 PTI MNAs approach Speaker NA to withdraw their resignations
PTI MNAs on Monday proceeded to the National Assembly, only to know that the Parliament House had been shut down for three days citing ‘short-circuit incident’. They later tried to approach the Speaker House but failed after facing restriction by Islamabad Police.
Also read: Verification of resignations: PTI blasts NA speaker for absence
However, a few PTI leaders approached the ECP later in the evening and explained their stance of withdrawing their resignations.
