As part of a “planned move” to counter the public following of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has started moving courts allegedly to pressurise the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government into accepting the resignations tendered by PTI lawmakers, Pakistan Today has learnt.
A PPP source said that through petitions, the PPP lawyers were aiming at getting the PTI lawmakers’ resignations accepted.
First of such petition was filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday through eminent lawyer and jurist Mubeenuddin Qazi against Punjab Assembly (PA) speaker and PTI MPA from PP 45 Mianwali.
The petition was fixed before Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Monday wherein notices have been issued to the PA speaker, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the PTI MPA for October 9.
When contacted, PPP Punjab Senior Vice President Haider Zaman Qureshi confirmed the “planned move” by PPP lawyers.
“The refusal and delay in acceptance of PTI lawmakers’ resignations is unconstitutional and amounts to negation of the constituencies’ right to be represented in the assemblies through their chosen representatives. Under the Constitution, the period being left unrepresented cannot exceed 60 days from the date of resignations acceptance,” he said.
“The PPP wanted to highlight the dual-faced policy of PTI to avail salaries and benefits and at same time claim to be not part of assemblies, also exposing PML-N’s policy of not accepting resignations thus leaving the respective areas unrepresented.”
Qureshi said that PPP could not let this “Muk Muka” (an underhand deal) between PML-N and PTI usurp the fundamental right of the electorate to be represented.
“Therefore, we have decided to file a series of petitions and force early by-election on these seats in Punjab and Sindh so that people of Pakistan find out the reality and actual support base of the protesting parties and the incumbent PML-N government,” he added.
“By submitting their resignations just after one year of the election, the PTI lawmakers have not only acted against the norms of democracy but have also breached the trust of the petitioner and other voters after abandoning the constituencies without any reasonable cause,” he added.
Qureshi also grilled the assemblies’ speakers for delaying accepting resignation, thus impeding by-elections’ schedule.
