ISLAMABAD: Following the commitment made in the memorandum of under­standing which the PTI had signed with the ruling PML-N before the formation of an inquiry commission to investigate the alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, Imran Khan, the party’s chairman, will attend National Assembly session on Monday (Aug 10).

The PTI’s deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, told media on Friday that as per the agreement between the PTI and the government, “we will be playing our role of an effective opposition both inside and outside the parliament”.

The issue surrounding the motions in the National Asse­m­bly for deseating PTI’s members had nothing to do with his party, Mr Qureshi said, adding that it was a matter between the government and other parliamentary parties.

“After the JUI-F and MQM decided to bring resolution against the PTI, we thought it appropriate to leave the house until the government resolves the controversy.”

Qureshi says PTI wasn’t involved in negotiations on deseating resolutions

He said as all parliamentary parties had agreed that PTI should come back to the parliament, “party chairman Imran Khan will attend the NA sitting on Monday”.

The decision on Imran Khan attending the NA session was taken at a meeting of the PTI’s parliamentary party at Bani Gala.

However, Mr Qureshi repeatedly underlined that the PTI wasn’t involved in negotiations between the government on one side and MQM and JUI-F on the other, to make the two parties agree to withdraw their resolutions.

After days of hectic efforts made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, including the latter’s telephone call to the MQM chief in London, JUI-F and MQM withdrew their resolutions which they had submitted in the assembly to deseat PTI lawmakers for failing to attend its session for more than 40 days without any intimation.

A PTI insider told Dawn that Imran Khan wasn’t excited about attending the NA sitting. However, a majority of the party members argued that his absence would send a wrong signal.

Asked how the PTI would react if some members of PML-N or other parties heckle Imran Khan in the National Assembly, Mr Qureshi said he hoped no such situation would arise and they would respect PTI chairman’s right to speak. However, he warned that in case any unpleasant episode took place, no head of any other party would be able to speak in the house.

Mr Qureshi reiterated his party’s stance that as a result of findings of the inquiry commission, PTI would continue to push for resignations of the members of Election Commission.

In reply to a question about the MQM chief’s recent controversial statements about state institutions, Mr Shah said leaders of the Muttahida had a lot of explanations to make, but so far they had failed to defend their leader.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play