ISLAMABAD, May 27: Despite losing the general elections on May 11, over 70 former members of the National Assembly have not yet vacated their suites in Parliament Lodges.

According to a National Assembly secretariat official, the legislators were allotted the suites in February 2008.

However, once the tenure of legislators expired, they were supposed to vacate the suites.

The official said most of the 70 members belonged to the PPP, PML-Q and the ANP.

When contacted, an official of the National Assembly secretariat, said: “We cannot share with the media the details of the names of the former legislators who are still holding the residences since it will be a breach of the National Assembly guidelines issued to its officials.”

He also said most of the losers on National Assembly seats from the PPP, ANP and the PML-Q were yet to return the keys of the lodges.

“We do not have the keys of these suites, so we have started breaking their locks after fulfilling all the legal formalities to ensure that they are vacant when the new legislators arrive.”

An official in the administration wing said they had not yet been issued any directions by the National Assembly secretariat relating to the allotment of the suites.An operation has been in progress for the last four days to vacate the rooms from the former legislators on the directions of the senior management of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), he added.

The drive to vacate the suites was being conducted with the support of the Islamabad police in the presence of a magistrate, said the official.

“We are also maintaining an inventory of the items recovered from the suites in the presence of the police and the magistrate,” he added.

There are 359 suites in the Parliament Lodges out of which 82 are currently allotted to the senators. Besides, 80 suites would be retained by those who have won the elections on the National Assembly seats again.

The official maintained that 50 women legislators would also be allotted residences after they joined the National Assembly on reserved seats.

“The new entrants will be allotted suites for the next five years as per the allotment letters which will be issued by the National Assembly,” added an official of the CDA.

Asked to comment on the process of the allotment of the suites - having two bedrooms and a drawing/dining hall - the CDA official said a newly-elected legislator was handed an allotment letter upon his arrival in the lodges.