- Agha Siraj accepts resignations of four PTI MPAs that were submitted in September last year
- Shah Mahmood Qureshi accuses PPP of ‘hypocrisy’, says party ready to return to assemblies as soon as judicial commission is formed
- Shireen Mazari says party lawmakers do not want to return to ‘fake assemblies’
Sharp differences have cropped up in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) following the acceptance of resignations of four lawmakers of the party by the Sindh Assembly speaker on Wednesday.
The resignations of PTI’s Sindh Assembly members Samar Ali Khan, Khurram Sher Zaman, Syed Hafeezuddin and Seema Zia were submitted to Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in September at the height of the protests and sit-ins the party had been holding in the federal capital against alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
“[PTI MPAs] did not communicate and I could not wait any longer…therefore their resignations have been accepted,” Durrani told reporters outside the Sindh Assembly.
Responding to a question on why he had accepted the resignations in the Sindh Assembly when similar resignations had not been accepted in the National Assembly, Durrani said: “I have taken the decision on part of the Sindh Assembly…I cannot speak for the workings of the National Assembly or for any other provincial assemblies,” he added.
Though this development is unlikely to have a major impact on the PTI’s ability to make way into the Senate, it has divided the party’s ranks as a majority of PTI lawmakers wanted to return to the National and Punjab provincial assemblies while those sitting outside parliament want to see their colleagues’ resignations accepted at the earliest.
PTI DIVIDED:
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi hinted at the growing dissent within the party over the resignations issue when during a press conference in Multan on Wednesday he criticised the PPP leadership for “hypocrisy”, saying that on one hand PPP’s Rehman Malik was urging the federal government not to accept the PTI’s resignations but on the other hand the Sindh Assembly speaker had accepted the PTI MPAs’ resignations.
He said the PTI was ready to return to the assemblies as soon as the judicial commission for probing the alleged election rigging is formed by the government.
“PTI has exhibited flexibility but the government has not reciprocated its gesture,” he said, adding that the party had cooperated with the government over its call for a united anti-terrorism stance but the PML-N government had been playing politics with it over the rigging issue.
Qureshi also said that the party should definitely participate in the Senate elections.
However, the party’s Secretary Information Shireen Mazari told a press conference in Islamabad that the federal and Punjab governments should accept PTI’s resignations as the party’s lawmakers did not want to be a part of the ‘fake assemblies’.
A source in the party said that the party’s top leadership was not on the same page over the resignations issue.
“Jahangir Tareen, Saifullah Niazi, Shireen Mazari and some other lawmakers want to toe the line adopted by Imran Khan. They want the party to take a hard line on the resignations issue but the party’s seasoned lawmakers want to remain in the assemblies so as not to become irrelevant in the political system,” said the source.
Political observers believe that the PTI should keep in mind the mistake committed by India’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which decided to resign from the Delhi government anticipating that the move would reap political dividends but the party was completely routed by the now ruling Bhartiya Janata Party.
Political analyst Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi thinks that the PPP had built pressure on the federal government by accepting resignations of PTI Sindh lawmakers.
“There is not much political implication of PTI’s resignations from Sindh Assembly as MQM is the major opposition party in that province. However PTI has significant numbers in National and Punjab assemblies so if the PML-N government accepts their resignations, the PTI would have no other option but to go to the streets which is now their strong point,” he said, adding that PML-N would like to keep the PTI engaged in talks rather than closing doors by accepting their resignations.
I think shah has lost focus on the goals of PTI. His statement is not surprising at all. It had seemed all along that he was not in favor of resignation from the beginning. He was forced to follow core committee's decision. He had manipulated the matter so far, giving the PNL (N) to play politics on this issue.
PPP has done the right thing by accepting the resignations of the P.T.I MPAs in the Sindh Assembly. The Speaker pf Sindh assembly is independent in making official decisions. Dr. Rehman Malik does not have any influence over the speaker.
P.T.I will commit suicide , if it goes back to National Assembly or participate in the senate elections. Shah 's stance is completely based on his own desires, it does not reflect the Party Position. I will give more importance to Shireen Mazari's statement , as she is the official spokesperson of the party.
Let Mr.Khan come back from Saudi Arabia, then we will hear it from the horse's mouth.
DEVIL= ESTABLISHMENT — DEEP SEA – SHARKS ..
Zardari is playing shess game .
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