Shah cautions against accepting PTI lawmakers’ resignation
ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah on Friday warned against adopting a resolution tabled in the house for the acceptance of resignations submitted by lawmakers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) during the party’s sit-in in the capital last year, noting that such a move would open a Pandora’s box and worsen the situation.
The resolution was tabled by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) in April, asking the NA Speaker to accept resignations of PTI lawmakers.
Also read: MQM and JUI-F move motions to de-seat 28 PTI MNAs
Talking to reporters here, the opposition leader advised the PML-N not to demonstrate arrogance after the release of the judicial commission’s report, which rejected the PTI’s allegations of organised rigging in the 2013 general elections.
He said if members of the ruling party would adopt the same approach as they did at the time of PTI lawmakers’ return to parliament following the end of the sit-in, the PPP would stand by the opposition.
Khursheed Shah said his party had accepted the outcome of the commission’s inquiry, but with reservations. He appreciated Imran Khan’s decision to accept the report. “We are accepting the report for continuation of the system. We do not want to put the system under threat,” he said in carefully selected wording.
The opposition leader, however, said the PPP wanted to take up the judicial commission’s report in the parliament and discuss it in the next session of the National Assembly commencing from July 27. He asked the government to present the report in the house for discussion.
Khursheed Shah said the PPP had reservations over the results of 2013 general elections like the PTI had, but when Imran Khan joined hands with Dr Tahirul Qadri, the party chose to stay away from the PTI.
He said Asif Ali Zardari was among those who called the 2013 elections as a returning officers’ election. “All of us were on the same page against the rigging before Imran Khan changed his approach,” he said.
He said the PPP had persuaded the prime minister to set up the commission.
Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2015
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