LAHORE: A day after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced that all the national and provincial lawmakers belonging to its constituent parties will hand over their resignations to the heads of their parties by Dec 31, 14 lawmakers of PML-N submitted their resignations to its leadership.

Two rebel MPAs of the PML-N — Jalil Sharqpuri and Ghaisuddin — however, declared that they would not resign from the membership because they did not adhere to the “anti-military views of its Nawaz Sharif”.

Those PML-N MNAs who submitted their resignations to the party leadership included Kheal Das Kohistani (NA-339) and Bashir Virk (NA-80) while MPAs included Samiullah Khan (PP-144), Nasir Mahmood (PP-27), Jehangir Khanzada (PP-2), Chaudhry Bilal Akbar (PP-49), Adil Bukhsh Chatha (PP-52), Malik Suhaib Ahmed (PP-72) Akhtar Hussain (PP-167) Safdar Shakir (PP-104), Bilal Farooq Tarar (PP-53), and Azma Bokhari, Auneza Fatima, Raheela Khadim Hussain, and Hina Pervaiz Butt (reserved seats).

MNAs Afzal Khokhar (NA-136) and Chaudhry Hamid Hameed (NA-90), and MPA Saiful Malook Khokhar (PP-165) have submitted their resignations before the announcement of the PDM.

Most of them cited rigging in 2018 polls, rising price hike and inflation in their resignations. They also called for a fresh free and fair election terming it a way forward for Pakistan and sanctity of the ballot.

Mr Sharqpuri said: “Had the PML-N leadership sought resignations in the ‘national interest’ we would have submitted them without any hesitation. But it is working against the national institutions. We will not let the PML-N become a personal property of some individuals,” he said.

Sources said the powers that be had been active to embarrass the PDM by stopping a good number of lawmakers, especially of the PML-N, from submitting their resignations to the leadership.

The PML-N believes that all of its lawmakers would submit their resign. “By December 31 deadline resignations from all PML-N lawmakers will be submitted to the party leadership,” PML-N information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb told Dawn.

PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah had told Dawn that the number of those deserting the party would not be in double figures.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2020