ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has prepared references seeking disqualification of its 20 dissident lawmakers.

According to the party’s media wing, Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved filing of references against the dissidents, who have joined the opposition camp to support the no-confidence motion against him.

On Thursday, the PTI had issued final show-cause notices to dissidents asking them to explain their position by April 1.

Imran Khan, as chairman of the PTI, on Friday dismissed as unreasonable the explanations submitted by the dissidents, a statement issued by the party said.

The statement was issued after PM’s adviser on parliamentary affairs Dr Babar Awan and PTI central additional secretary general Amir Mahmood Kayani held a meeting to prepare the references in line with Mr Khan’s instructions.

The PTI said documentary evidence of horse-trading would also be provided along the references to the National Assembly speaker.

Dr Awan said PM Khan had directed them to take stern legal action against the “unscrupulous members”.

The Constitution requires the parliamentarians to be honest and trustworthy, he said, adding that those involved in ‘horse-trading’ were not sadiq [truthful] and ameen [righteous].

He said the references under Article 63-A were being sent to the NA speaker.

Sources told Dawn that the references were being filed against Noor Alam Khan, Dr Mohammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Nawab Sher Waseer, Raja Riaz Ahmad, Ahmed Hussain Deharr, Rana Mohammad Qasim Noon, Asim Nazeer, Amjad Farooq Khosa, Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf, Syed Mobeen Ahmed, Sayed Sami-ul-Hassan Gillani, Mohammad Abdul Ghaffar Wattoo, Sayed Basit Ahmad Sultan, Aamir Talal Gopang, Sardar Riaz Mehmood Khan Mazari, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Wajiha Qamar, Nuzhat Pathan and Javeria Zafar.

Opposition members and legal experts believe that under the law the references should be sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan and not to the speaker.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022