Resignations of 35 more PTI MNAs accepted

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of 35 more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers on Friday.

The number of PTI MNAs whose resignations were accepted in the last few days now stands at 69.

Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s resignation was also accepted by the NA Speaker along with 34 lawmakers belonging to Imran Khan’s party on January 17.

By July 28 last year, the NA speaker had accepted the resignations of only 11 PTI lawmakers.

As many as 131 PTI MPs had resigned from the National Assembly in April last year after the ouster of Imran Khan’s government through a no-confidence motion.

The National Assembly Secretariat issued a press release on Friday announcing the acceptance of resignations of 35 more PTI MNAs.

“In accordance with clause (1) of Article 64 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, read with Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly of Pakistan 2007, the Hon’ble Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan has been pleased to accept the resignations of the following Members of the National Assembly with effect from April 11, 2022, the date when the letter of respective resignations was submitted,” said the statement.

A summary has been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to de-notify the PTI lawmakers.

PTI leaders have termed the latest move by NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf “illegal and immoral”.

Former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry along with others spoke to the media outside the Parliament House on Friday and strongly condemned Raja Pervaiz’s action.

They said the speaker had retracted from his old stance.

Asad Qaiser said Raja Pervaiz had earlier told PTI leaders he would not accept any resignation until he had met each member separately. “Were those whose resignations were accepted called by the speaker?” Asad Qaiser asked.

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said now that 81 resignations were accepted, the government must also give a date for general elections.

PTI lawmakers whose resignations were accepted on Friday: Dr Haider Ali Khan (NA-2), Saleem Rehman (NA-3), Sahibzada Sibghatullah (NA-5), Mehboob Shah (NA-6), Muhammad Bashir Khan (NA-7), Junaid Akbar (NA-8), Sher Akbar Khan (NA-9), Ali Khan Jadoon (NA-16), Engr Usman Khan Tarakai (NA-19), Mujahid Ali (NA-20), Arbab Amir Ayub (NA-28), Sher Ali Arbab (NA-30), Shahid Ahmed (NA-34), Gul Dad Khan (NA-40), Sajid Khan (NA-42), Mohammad Iqbal Khan (NA-44), Aamer Mehmood Kiani (NA-61), Syed Faiz ul Hassan (NA-70), Chaudhry Shoukat Ali Bhab (NA-87), Umar Aslam Khan (NA-93), Amjad Ali Khan (NA-96), Khurram Shahzad (NA-107), Faizullah (NA-109), Malik Karamat Ali Khokhar (NA-135), Syed Fakhar Imam (NA-150), Zahoor Hussain Qureshi (NA-152), Ibraheem Khan (NA-158), Tahir Iqbal (NA-164), Aurangzeb Khan Khichi (NA-165), Makhdoom Khusro BakhBar (NA-177), Abdul Majeed Khan (NA-187), Andaleeb Abbas (reserved seat), Asma Qadeer (reserved seat), 34 Maleeka Ali Bokhari (reserved seat), Munawara Bibi Baloch (reserved seat).