ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: None of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned lawmakers appeared before the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday for verification of their resignations, they had tendered on April 11.
In a bid to verify the authenticity of 131 PTI lawmakers ascertaining whether they were genuine and voluntary or not, the Speaker National Assembly on May 30 decided to initiate a phase-wise process of inviting the PTI MNAs individually for verification of their resignations.
As per the set criteria, 30 PTI members had been invited to appear before the Speaker on June 6; however, none of them complied.
It’s worth mentioning that on Sunday, the PTI Core Committee decided that their lawmakers wouldn’t appear before the Speaker National Assembly.
Talking to the media after the PTI Core Committee meeting held with Imran Khan in the chair at Bani Gala, the Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi declared that none of the party National Assembly members would reappear before the incumbent National Assembly Speaker because the Speaker had already confirmed their resignations.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that they had submitted their resignations, the then Speaker accepted the resignations, therefore, they would not appear before the NA Speaker again to confirm the resignations.
Separately, talking to the media, the PTI Secretary General Asad Umar also said that since the former acting Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Suri had already accepted their resignations and National Assembly Secretariat had also notified the resignations; therefore, there was no further need to appear before the Speaker for any verification.
Sources close to the government said that PTI’s behavior once again implies that Imran Khan-led party lacks the audacity to respect democratic and parliamentary values.
They said that rather than playing its due role in the Parliament, PTI once again opted to throng to roads and fuel anarchy in the Country as the party did in 2014.
They also alleged that on the one hand, PTI lawmakers say that they have tendered resignations from the House but on the other hand, they are still withdrawing salaries from the National Assembly and enjoying privileges.
When contacted to respond to the above allegations, the Head of the PTI Central Media Department Sibghat Ullah Virk took strong exception to these assertions and stated that the imported regime must shun the politics of accusations and intimidating dissident voices.
Sibghat Ullah Virk said that the coalition regime is playing politics over every issue. He said that if the PTI lawmakers were drawing salaries, then the Speaker National Assembly must be held responsible for it as no lawmaker is entitled to enjoy privileges without his approval.
The PTI Official said that all of their members have already declared their resignations and even some of them shared their signed resignations on social media.
Sibghat Ullah said that if the imported regime is really concerned, the Speaker National Assembly must accept the resignations immediately and notify them, depriving PTI lawmakers of all benefits.
