The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday said that its return to the National Assembly was in accordance with an agreement it had reached with the government.
“Why were PTI lawmakers allowed to attend the budget sessions if the party was not considered a part of the assembly?” PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said while talking to reporters outside Parliament House on Thursday.
Shah’s statement comes two days after voting was deferred in the National Assembly on a resolution submitted by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to de-seat PTI lawmakers from the NA owing to their absence from the lower house of parliament during the party’s 126-day sit-in in Islamabad. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday had summoned a meeting of parliamentary heads of all political parties sans PTI, and urged the MQM and JUI-F to take back their resolutions. Leaders of both parties had told the PM that they would consider his request after consulting their respective parties.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters outside Parliament House, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman questioned why PTI’s assembly membership was being restored after its legislators had submitted their resignations.
“We are expressing our reservations in a constitutional manner,” he said. “According to the constitution, the seat stands vacant if a member submits his resignation,” he said.
However, the PTI was lent support by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), as Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Khurshid Shah told reporters that a political party should not be removed from parliament.
Shah reiterated that PTI’s return to the House was based on an agreement with the government and not supporting the party at this point will be problematic for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The opposition leader further said that the PPP will oppose motions put forward in the NA to de-seat PTI.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Imran Khan better get lost from NA if he is a man of words.
Comments are closed.