Pak National Assembly Speaker rejects PTI’s demand of en masse resignations

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 30 (ANI): Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf has rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) demand for the acceptance of en masse resignations of the members of the National Assembly (MNAs), reiterating his stance that each member needs to come individually with a hand-written resignation for verification according to the rules of the National Assembly, according to The News International.

In a meeting with a PTI delegation led by Pakistan’s former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser at the Parliament House on Thursday, Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the resignations of PTI MNAs could only be accepted under the procedure given in the Constitution and rules of business of the National Assembly, as per The News International report.

The meeting with the Pakistan National Assembly speaker was attended by National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri, PTI chief whip Malik Amir Dogar, Attaullah Khan, Amjad Khan Niazi, Niaz Ahmad Jakhar, Dr. Shabbir Hussain Qureshi, Faheem Khan, Lal Chan Malahi and Tahir Iqbal.

Speaking to PTI’s delegation, Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the resignations accepted by Qasim Suri were unconstitutional and illegal. He stressed that there was always a place for dialogue and political reconciliation, as per the news report. He added that political consensus was the key to resolving the challenges faced by Pakistan at the present time.

“There is the question of the mandate of eight lakh people given to each member. How can the resignations of all the members be accepted at the request of one of them?” The News International quoted Raja Pervez Ashraf as saying.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ashraf said that he had recommended that the PTI members of the National Assembly come back to the House and play their constitutional role. Referring to a case of Islamabad High Court PLD 2014, Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the office of the NA speaker was not a post office and even mentioned Article 64 of the Constitution and Rule 43 of the Rules of Business of the National Assembly.

Raja Pervez Ashraf said that some PTI members whose resignations were received by the National Assembly Secretariat had applied for leave from the House and some attended the House. According to him, a Member of the National Assembly from Karachi, whose resignation was accepted, approached Islamabad High Court and gave an affidavit that he did not resign.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, former Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar demanded immediate elections, according to The News International. He urged Raja Pervez Chaudhry to approve en masse resignations submitted by the PTI MNAs. Notably, 123 PTI members of the National Assembly collectively tendered resignation on April 11, two days after party Chairman Imran Khan was ousted as the Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion.