ISLAMABAD: Is the PTI returning to the National Assembly? At least for Dr Arif Alvi, a senior PTI leader and member of the National Assembly, there is nothing wrong in voting for the 22nd constitutional amendment proposed by the government against horse-trading in the Senate elections.

Dr Alvi said: “This is a praiseworthy move on part of the government which I think the PTI should vote for in the house.”

Talking to Dawn, Dr Alvi added: “I will raise the issue at the core committee meeting of the party.” The PTI members resigned from the National Assembly in August last year as part of their anti-government move.

Since PTI chairman Imran Khan was the first to call for open balloting in the Senate elections, it made sense for his party to vote for the amendment which, if passed, will make open balloting possible for Senate elections scheduled to be held on March 5.

“After the meeting, I even asked the prime minister to constitute a judicial commission to probe the allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections, so that we should come back to the National Assembly and play our due role,” said Dr Alvi.

Since the PTI has decided to contest the Senate elections, a significant majority of its MNAs argued that they should go back to the house. However, a few in the top PTI leadership still insists that until and unless the government constitutes the commission, the party should stay out of parliament.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2015

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