MQM, JUI-F withdraw motions to de-seat PTI lawmakers

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl on Thursday withdrew their motions from the National Assembly seeking to de-seat Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers.

MQM leader Salman Mujahid Baloch and MNA Naeema Kishwar Khan of the JUI-F individually withdrew their respective motions during the NA session Thursday chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

The development came after Sadiq held a meeting over the issue with parliamentary members of political parties in an effort to convince members of the MQM and the JUI-F into withdrawing the motions.

The two parties had sought the disqualification of 28 legislators of the PTI for remaining absent without leave from Parliament for 40 consecutive days during their party's protest sit-in last year. The PTI lawmakers had also tendered their resignations, which had subsequently not been accepted by the NA Speaker.

Earlier at the start of the session before the motions were withdrawn, JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman tabled a resolution reiterating the resolve to uphold democracy and supremacy of Parliament. The resolution was passed unanimously by the House.

Thursday’s developments in the National Assembly paves way for members of the PTI to return to Parliament, after they said last week that they would remain absent from the House until a decision on the de-seating motions.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that his government would not support the motions seeking to disqualify the PTI lawmakers. He asked JUI-F and the MQM to withdraw their resolutions against the PTI.


On Wednesday, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had also telephoned MQM chief Altaf Hussain to withdraw the motion that sought de-seating of PTI lawmakers in the lower house of the Parliament.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had also agreed to withdraw the motion late Wednesday after Information Minister Pervez Rashid, Mehmood Khan Achakzai met with him last night.