ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain called Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday soon after the latter’s walkout from the National Assembly in protest against non-acceptance of the resignation of legislators belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

JUI-F spokesman Jan Achakzai told Dawn that the MQM chief had endorsed his party’s stance in parliament on the issue of PTI MNAs’ resignation. According to him, the two leaders were of the opinion that the PTI lawmakers had no legal or moral ground to sit in parliament after submitting their resignations and then remaining absent from the house for a long period.

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An official statement issued by the MQM’s London secretariat said the Maulana and Mr Hussain had also agreed that Pakistan should not send its troops to Saudi Arabia or Yemen. Pakistan should not become a party to the Yemen crisis and play the role of a mediator.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the MQM chief said the PTI lawmakers’ return to parliament was unconstitutional because they had resigned and ceased to be members of the National Assembly.

“According to Article 64 of the Constitution, when a member resigns his seat it falls vacant. Furthermore, if any member remains absent for more than 40 days continuously he ceases to be a member of the parliament according to Article 64(2),” Mr Hussain added.

He said that allowing the members, who had resigned, to take part in the proceedings of parliament was tantamount to making a mockery of the Constitution.

Sources in the MQM said the party lawmakers had submitted to the National Assembly Secretariat a motion seeking to unseat the PTI members for remaining absent from the house for more than 40 days.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2015

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