Khan looks to SC to bail him out of sit-in

• PTI chief says will end sit-in protest if SC initiates probe headed by Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid
• Info minister says govt ready for talks with PTI, asks Khan to empower Qureshi for talks
• PTI MNA tells NA speaker he was forced by party leadership to resign

In wake of mounting pressure on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over his prolonged sit-in at D-Chowk in the federal capital, which has so far failed to achieve his objective of the prime minister’s resignation, and dissent within his lawmakers over the party’s decision to resign from the National and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Sindh, the cricketer-turned-politician on Thursday announced that he would end his protest if the Supreme Court conducts an enquiry into the rigging charges in one month with a person of his own choice at the helm of the probe.

The announcement comes as a PTI MNA from Nowshera, Siraj Muhammad Khan wrote a letter to NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq claiming that his resignation was not voluntary.

SC PROBE:

Addressing his supporters at D-Chowk on Thursday night, Khan said: “The Supreme Court should investigate the rigging allegations in one month under Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid and we will end the sit-in if our allegations are proven wrong.”

While making commitment of ending the sit-in, Khan also put a condition that “in case rigging is proved then resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should be ensured”.

The government immediately responded to the offer, saying it was ready for talks on the issue.

In a statement, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed said that the government is ready for dialogue with PTI at a time and place of their choice.

He asked PTI chief Imran Khan to empower his vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi for holding talks with the government, adding that the government was ready to resume dialogue once Finance Minister Ishaq Dar returns from his foreign visit.

FORCED RESIGNATION:

Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict over individual verifications of resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in NA took a new turn on Thursday with both sides claiming that a letter that PTI MNA Siraj Muhammad Khan wrote to NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has vindicated their stance.

Siraj Khan, along with other PTI parliamentarians had submitted his resignation to the Speaker’s chamber on August 22. But on Thursday, Khan sent a letter to the speaker asking him not to accept his resignation.

The speaker subsequently accepted Siraj Khan’s application and rejected the resignation.

Sources said that Khan has not withdrawn his resignation, rather he had informed the speaker about being forced to resign from his NA seat by his party.

“The letter of Khan has substantiated the speaker’s stance for individual verification of every single resignation of the PTI,” sources said.

On October 29, some 25 PTI members had reached the Parliament House for verifying their resignations before the speaker. But the PTI lawmakers insisted on en masse verification while the speaker insisted on individual verification.

The impasse had prompted the speaker to refer the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to resolve the issue.

On that day, Khan, along with Saleemur Rehman, Qaiser Jamal, Shahryar Khan Afridi, as well as PTI Chairman Imran Khan were absent.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was present in the assembly, had clarified that the absence of a few lawmakers did not reflect their opposition to the party’s decision.

Khan had been elected into the Lower House from NA-6 Nowshera-II with 54,266 votes.

PTI ALLEGES HORSE TRADING:

Reacting to Khan’s letter, the PTI claimed that Thursday’s development proved their charges of ‘horse trading’ by the government.

“We had apprehensions that the government would offer money and try to buy our members and it has happened today with Khan’s letter to the speaker,” said a party leader.

He said that “this was the very reason we opposed the individual verification of resignations”.