ISLAMABAD, July 23: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) President Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Monday submitted his letter of resignation to the speaker of National Assembly.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who is also the MMA parliamentary leader in the lower house of the parliament, and another party leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed had decided not to attend the remaining sessions of the existing National Assembly in protest against the passage of the Women’s Protection Act in November.

After the Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa operation, the MMA president had announced that he would quit the parliament, saying he would attend the next NA session only to submit his resignation. But now he has decided not to wait for the next NA session and instead sent his resignation to the speaker through his secretary.

It is also generally perceived that the MMA president has taken the step out of frustration after having totally failed to convince Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), another component of the alliance, and even his own party MPs to collectively quit the assemblies.

MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rahman described the step as a violation of party discipline.

Maulana Fazl said, “He (Qazi) has done no good by doing it alone and it certainly amounted to violation of discipline for which he will stand accountable in the alliance”.

When his attention was drawn by Dawn towards MMA secretary-general’s reaction, Qazi said, “I do not want to indulge in open controversy with the Maulana and will rather prefer to discuss the issue within the alliance meeting”.