ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday said the salaries of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers who resigned from the assembly have been withheld.

In an informal conversation with reporters in the press gallery of the parliament, he said if any member of parliament moves a motion against PTI's absent lawmakers, he would be bound to conduct a vote. Upon getting a majority, the PTI members can be declared ineligible, he said.

He said that PTI lawmakers laughed when he telephoned them to ask about their resignations.

Also read: PTI facing internal pressure to return to parliament

Responding to allegations regarding election rigging, he said that he is ready to undergo a Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) scan, Computerised Tomography (CT) scan and even a blood test. He further alleged that he has been a victim of "political terrorism".

He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has so far failed to produce any evidence of rigging against him in the tribunal and if the result of NA-122 investigation is released, Imran will be left with no chance of protest.

Upon PTI's insistence, Nadra is to check the votes polled in NA-118, NA-122 and NA-125 in Lahore, the stronghold of the Sharif brothers and their party PML-N.

Nadra is to match the thumb impression of voters on the ballot paper and on counterfoils and the photograph of the voter with his or her CNIC number on the election papers. It has been given one month to finish the work.

However, Sadiq maintained today that the report to be presented in the tribunal regarding finger prints will be the same as any other case. He said the majority of thumb impressions cannot be verified because of the system.

Also read: Parliament watch: Whatever thumbprint scrutiny turns up, PTI ready to take to the streets

At the height of PTI’s protest movement against the government in August last year, the party resigned en masse from the National Assembly.