LAHORE: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has claimed he will remain “neutral” in the matter pertaining to unseating Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf members of the House.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr Sadiq said the government was trying to convince both the MQM and the JUI-F to withdraw the resolution for unseating the PTI legislators.

He said he had no grudge against PTI chairman Imran Khan. “Had I wanted to take revenge from him (Imran) I would have allowed debate on the matter on the floor of the House,” he said, adding he was targeted (by the PTI and its chief) but he never made the Speaker’s office controversial. He said all members were equal in the eyes of the Speaker.

The Speaker further said he had reissued notices to the PTI MNAs but they would not turn up for confirmation of their resignations (during Islamabad sit-in). “I am playing a neutral role in the matter,” he added.

To a question about his role in sacking of Aitchison College principal Dr Agha Ghazanfar allegedly for not giving admission to his son, Mr Sadiq said it was a baseless allegation. “He (Dr Agha Ghazanfar) has been fired in connection with financial irregularities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami secretary general Liaqat Baloch has said unseating PTI MNAs would only add to the political instability in the country and create more problems for the government.

Baloch said the internal and external challenges facing the country required that the democratic and political forces should sit together to find solution to the problems through mutual understanding and avoid all such moves that could increase tension.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also asked JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to reconsider his decision to go ahead with the resolution against the PTI legislators.

Fazulr Rehman said the resolution demanding unseating of PTI “absentees” was a legal matter as the party’s lawmakers were no longer members of the Parliament. He said his party would not withdraw the resolution.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2015

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