NA speaker finally accepts resignations of 34 PTI MNAs

• ECP de-notifies 34 PTI MNAs and AML chief.
• PTI ‘thanks’ NA speaker for accepting resignations.
• Development came following growing acrimony between PTI and govt.

As power politics continues between the ruling and the opposition parties in the country, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Tuesday finally accepted the resignations of 35 members of the lower house of parliament — 34 belonging to the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as well as Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid.

Asad Qaiser, Qasim Suri, Pervez Khattak, Ali Amin Gandapur, Murad Saeed, Shehryar Khan Afridi, and Imran Khattak are among the lawmakers whose resignations have been accepted. 

The development came following growing acrimony between the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government in the country.

Resignations of Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mehmood, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Zartaj Gul, Ali Zaidi have also been accepted by the NA speaker.

It is pertinent to mention here that around 131 MNAs belonging to the PTI tendered their resignations en masse after Imran Khan's government was ousted through a no-confidence motion In April last year.

‘ECP de-notifies lawmakers with immediate effect’

Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified the 35 MNAs belonging to the former ruling party.

According to a notification issued by the electoral authority, “Consequent upon the acceptance of resignations by the Hon'ble Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan and in pursuance of the Notification No F.21 (4)/2022- lagis dated 17th January, 2023 of National Assembly of Pakistan. the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby de-notifies the following Members of National Assembly of Pakistan with immediate effect.”

PTI ‘thanks’ speaker for accepting resignations

Reacting to the coalition government’s move, PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry thanked Speaker Pervaiz Ashraf for accepting the resignations of his party’s lawmakers.

Until the acceptance of 70 more resignations, the slots of Leader of the Opposition in the NA and Public Accounts Committee chairman belong to his party.

Fawad hopes that the Chief Justice of Pakistan would decide his party's pending cases in this regard soon.

On July 28, 2022, the speaker also approved 11 resignations of PTI members under Article 64(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.