Deadlock persists over resignations of PTI’s Punjab MPAs

LAHORE: Over two months after lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) submitted their resignations en masse, Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mohammad Iqbal remains adamant on verifying each of them individually.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Punjab Assembly Speaker said Article 64 of the Constitution refers to “a member” of Parliament in the laws laid down for the vacation of assembly seats, and that he has to individually meet each member before he can accept their resignation.

The Speaker had summoned PTI members to his chambers individually today. However, the deadlock continued as PTI legislators failed to show up in his chambers, insisting they would not meet the Speaker independently but together as a party in the conference hall.

“We are firm on our stance that all of us submitted our resignations almost two months ago, as per party policy and according to our will,” said PTI Punjab President Mehmoodur Rashid.

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Rashid and 28 other PTI members had handed their resignations to the Punjab Assembly Secretariat on August 27 in protest against alleged rigging in the May 2013 general elections.

Rashid had said that the federal and provincial governments had failed to deliver on their promises, which was why PTI MPAs from Punjab were resigning as per party policy.

Speaking to a private news channel separately today, former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah Friday accused PTI chairman Imran Khan of holding his entire party hostage.

He claimed that “serious members” of the PTI wanted an end to the political confrontation.

“I came to convince the PTI members to withdraw their resignations because I thought if they appear individually before the speaker, their resignations would be accepted,” he said after meeting PTI Punjab Assembly members.

“The PTI members do not want to tender resignations and we do not want to accept their resignations,” he said.

A similar impasse continues between the PTI and the ruling PML-N in the National Assembly, where PTI lawmakers have also submitted their resignations, but NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq is reluctant on accepting them without individual verification.

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Comments (13) Closed

Common man

Nov 07, 2014 06:02pm

Dual face of PTI members. They announce their resignations daily media but refuse to tender resignations as per law of Pakistan. They blame every person and institute for rigging in media but afraid of investigation as per law. What a shame.

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Ganga Din

Nov 07, 2014 06:10pm

Accept their resignations, hold fresh elections and kick them out.

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Imran

Nov 07, 2014 06:27pm

PTI politicians are making a joke out of politics and the Law. They are the most VVIP's who want their own judges and their own laws as opposed to the rest of us. What a contradiction.

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Paki

Nov 07, 2014 07:28pm

@Imran Off course, we don't want the law which is currently working in Pakistan because that law only benefits rich people. Might be you are hella rich that you don't care whatever happens. They don't wanna their own judges or law. They want judges and law which is equal for everyone and not only for NOON.

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Adnan

Nov 07, 2014 08:01pm

Happens only in Pakistan! Why does the Speaker need to call them individually to his holy chambers? Why can't he just do it during the Parliament session, speak their names out and ask them 'Do you want to resign?' , 'Yes, okay, done'! PML-N is playing dirty, trying best to besmirch PTI one way or another on lame issues, setting bad precedents along.

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ray ray

Nov 07, 2014 08:33pm

@Adnan Are you kidding?? The speaker has the right to do that to insure that they do in fact want to resign, and aren't being forced to by their party master. The truth is, the assembly members don't want to resign and the government is making a wise decision in order to keep democracy functioning.

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Akib

Nov 07, 2014 08:52pm

@Adnan its to confirm that the great khan isn't making them do so under duress. This is a common practice to rule out any action taken to prove it is not under duress or out of fear. If they want to leave they know the process and it isn't difficult, nobody wants fanatics like PTI in the assembly anyway, not even PTI wants to be PTI anymore. Duality has become a prime component of PTIs twisted logic.

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Moaz

Nov 07, 2014 09:11pm

Lol, at the people who are all anti PTI, funny, do you guys forget what they have done so far in KPK ? it is PTI, compare them to any other provincial govt., and no body comes even close to their performance with the laws passed, and yes I am die hard Khan supporter, but I support Pakistan, not Khan in the long run. These PMLN and PPP goons dont stop at anything, funny part is that educated people cant see the fake performance these people are promoting.

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Sher

Nov 07, 2014 09:50pm

Dear PTI members - If you put yourself on sale, you are gone forever, PTI voters are NOT like others, they are well educated and will kick you out from elections, and will BOO you in the societyyou will NOT face the civil society for which PTI stands for.

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Nisar Ahmad

Nov 07, 2014 10:49pm

@Moaz ; what diehard- this is partly of arrogant and egoistic people who had stalled economic development and will not resign. Double face and lies all around. Alas we voted to wrong party and next time they will get even fewer seats.

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W.Shaikh

Nov 08, 2014 06:01am

It is difficult to comment since I don't know the law. However; MPAS should meet the speaker if it is a Legal requirement. If not, they can go to High Court and forced the speaker to accept the resignations. Something is fishy overhere. I don't know if PTI or the Speaker is misleading.

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khan

Nov 08, 2014 06:24am

@Common man pmln is so scare of pti that did not want accept, cause they know they will hold fresh election n they can not effort. Plmn are destroy pakistan, nawaz n his family only interest to make money n put In England .

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kirther

Nov 09, 2014 03:46am

These are tactics by the government to delay accepting resignations, PTI must act accordingly and should take measures to tackle this government promptly and forcefully, based on their mind-set constitutional tactics will not work with PML-N government.

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