PTI advises MNAs against partaking in verification process

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PTI Chairman Imran Khan speaking during a press conference in Peshawar. — Twitter/@PTIofficial
PTI Chairman Imran Khan speaking during a press conference in Peshawar. — Twitter/@PTIofficial

  • Process to verify PTI lawmakers' resignations called for by NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf starts June 6.
  • PTI leadership advises lawmakers against meeting NA speaker.
  • Says no further action is required after resignations tendered.


ISLAMABAD: The PTI leadership has directed its MNAs against partaking in the process of the verification of their resignations, called for by the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on June 6, sources within the party said Tuesday.

Sources privy to the matter said that the PTI leadership has advised the lawmakers to not meet the NA speaker, who has asked them to appear in a personal capacity to confirm their resignations.

They said that the PTI lawmakers have been told that they don't need to do anything else because they have already resigned.

NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf had on Monday summoned the PTI legislators individually from June 6 to 10 and confirmed their resignation. The NA Secretariat has sent letters to all the PTI MNAs who tendered resignations on April 11.

The speaker has invited the MNAs in pursuance of paragraph (b) of Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

A spokesperson of the National Assembly said that the verification of 30 MNAs’ resignations would be held on a daily basis and that every member would get five minutes for the verification of his or her resignation.

"The government aimed to complete the process by June 10, just before the presentation of the budget for the next fiscal year, which was expected to be presented in the National Assembly on the same day."

It may be recalled that 131 members of the National Assembly belonging to the PTI tendered their resignations en masse to the then deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Qasim Suri, last month after the Imran Khan government was ousted through a no-confidence vote. Suri had accepted the resignations and issued the notification.

Later on, the newly elected Speaker, Raja Pervez Ashraf, de-sealed the resignations of the PTI MNAs and announced that he would verify them in order to ascertain their veracity.

PTI decides against returning to NA

Separately, in its core committee meeting held in Peshawar, the PTI had a lengthy discussion on the resignation issue and decided against returning to the National Assembly forthwith.

It was announced by senior PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Fawad said the government is mulling over accepting resignations on an individual basis.

"If it happens, we will move to the court as the PTI members of the National Assembly tendered their resignation en masse, so the resignations should also be accepted collectively," said the former information minister.