- NA speaker summons PTI chief, others over resignations tendered in NA
- JI chief asks NA speaker not to accept PTI resignations as it would intensify political turmoil
National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq Tuesday summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on October 13 for verification of his resignation as member of the Lower House of the Parliament.
Earlier, talking to journalists in the Parliament House, Sadiq said that Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq has asked him to delay the matter regarding resignations of PTI representatives. The NA speaker stated he told Haq that he had already given due concessions.
Sadiq said that the verification of each resignation would be carried out as per rules. He said the process could not be delayed further. He said he “feels in the heart” to ask Imran Khan to take back resignations of the PTI MNAs for the sake of “old relationship” with him but his position as NA speaker did not allow him to do so.
Sadiq said Khan even did not know as to what kind of stay order he had taken from the court. However, he said he will deliberate with all the parliamentary parties on the issue of resignations.
Three PTI representatives have been summoned on Thursday, while three more have been directed to appear on Friday for verification of the resignations, he said.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Ali Muhammad Khan were summoned on September 25 at 11am and Dr Arif Alvi, Shireen Mazari and Muanza Hassan were summoned on September 26 in speaker’s chamber for verification of their resignations.
Sadiq said that the whole process would end by October 15. He said that five PTI members in their resignations addressed the party chairman Imran Khan instead of him. These members included Mujahid Ali, Col (r) Ameerullah Marwat, Saleemur Rehman, Junaid Akbar and Qaiser Jamal.
The NA speaker said that these members have been informed that their resignations are not acceptable.
He appealed Khan to attend NA sessions, saying that their demands could be met in the assembly.
Earlier, the JI chief made a telephonic contact with NA speaker to discuss the matter of resignations and appealed not to show any haste in accepting the resignations of PTI lawmakers. He feared that the current political turmoil could deepen in case the resignations were accepted without deliberation.
