MQM, JUI-F move motions to deseat PTI MNAs

ISLAMABAD: Two identical motions were moved Wednesday to deseat 28 lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claiming that their seats be vacated since they had been absent from the House for over 40 days.

The motions were moved by lawmakers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) during the private member day.

According to Article 64 clause 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the seat of a member vacant can be declared vacant if he remains absent for forty consecutive days from the National Assembly without leave.

The PTI, which had led a protest sit-in in Islamabad against alleged electoral rigging, had boycotted assembly proceedings and had remained absent from the House for over forty days after tendering their resignations.

But PTI lawmakers later rejoined Parliament after the party and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) agreed on a judicial commission to investigate the allegations of rigging in the 2013 polls.

Now, rival parliamentary parties MQM and JUI-F have moved motions claiming the seats of the 28 PTI legislators should be declared vacant according to the constitution.

MQM's Salman Baloch presented the motion, which also carried signatures of Farooq Sattar, Rasheed Godil and other MQM lawmakers.

However, the motion submitted by the JUI-F's Naeema Kishwar did not carry the signatures of party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Akram Durrani.

Reading out the rules of business, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that the motions will be taken up for consideration after seven days.