JUI-F, PML-N MNAs want Imran’s NA seat declared vacant

ISLAMABAD: Nine members of the National Assembly belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have submitted a notice to the Speaker’s Secretariat to declare Imran Khan’s seat in the House vacant as he has been absent for 40 consecutive days.
The announcement pertaining to his absence was made by the deputy speaker of the National Assembly a day earlier, and Imran Khan can be de-seated with the consent of the house any time.
Parliamentary sources in the National Assembly told The News that two separate submissions were filed on Thursday; one is notice and other is resolution under the rules of the National Assembly. Naima Kishwar Khan, Maulana Amir Zaman, Maulana Gohar Shah, Qari Muhammad Yusuf, Maulvi Muhammad Agha, M. Aasia Nasir, Alia Kamran, Shahida Akhtar Ali (JUI) and Dr Ibadullah Khan (PML-N) submitted the resolution, asking for declaring seat of NA-56 Rawalpindi vacated since the member elected from this constituency Imran Khan has failed representing the constituents by abstaining from the house for forty consecutive days.
They have cited the relevant rules and article 64 (2) of the Constitution for seeking declaration. The relevant article says “64. Vacation of seats.- (1) A member of [Majlis-e-Shoora] (Parliament) may, by writing under his hand addressed to the Speaker or, as the case may be, the Chairman resign his seat, and thereupon his seat shall become vacant. (2) A House may declare the seat of a member vacant if, without leave of the House, he remains absent for
forty consecutive days of its sittings.” The notice has been given under rule 44 of the National Assembly seeking re-election in the constituency. The sources said that Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will take decision about putting up the resolution and the notice in the house any day during the ongoing session of the National Assembly.
The house through majority support can deprive Imran Khan membership of the house. Interestingly ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) would determine the fate of the membership of Khan who is not turning up in the house since June 17, 2014. The move has been made to de-seat Imran Khan on the day when he tied the knot with Reham Khan in Islamabad. It is understood that the JUI-F hasn’t consulted its ally in the government before submitting the resolution and filing the notice in question.
The sources pointed out that 27 members of the National Assembly belonging to Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) would be completing their forty days absence from the house next week and the Speaker will pronounce their absence any day before next Friday (January 16) when the National Assembly will be prorogued.
The members who will be exposed to disqualification are: Engineer Hamid-ul-Haq NA-2 Peshawar, Sajid Nawaz NA-3 Peshawar, Dr Imran Khattack NA-5 Peshawar, Ali Muhammad Khan NA-10 Mardan, Mujahid Ali NA-11 Mardan-iii, Aqibullah NA-13 Swabi, Sheharyar Khan Afridi NA-14 Kohat, Khaila Zaman Orakzaie NA-16 Hangu, and Dr Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon NA-17 Abbottabad-I, Engineer Dawar Khan Kundi NA-25 D I Khan-cum-Tank, Col (R) Amirullah Marwat NA-27 Lakki Marwat, Murad Saeed NA-29 Swat-I, Junaid Akbar NA-35 Malakand Protected Area, Qaisar Jamal NA-47 Tribal Area-iii, Asad Umar NA-48 Islamabad-I, Ghulam Sarwar Khan NA-53 Rawalpindi-iv, Amjad Ali Khan NA-72 Mianwali-ii, Shafqat Mehmood NA-126 Lahore-ix, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi NA-150 Multan-iii, Rai Hasan Nawaz Khan NA-162 Sahiwal-iii, Dr Arif Alvi NA-250 Karachi-xii, Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattack, Sajida Begum, Aaisha Gulalai (KP), Dr Shireen Mazari, Munaza Hasan (Punjab), and Lal Chand Malhi (Minority).
They can also face the resolution like Imran has been facing. Once the resolution is passed the member is ceased the right to be part of the National Assembly. The members belonging to the PTI who opted not to boycott the proceeding of the house and they are regularly attending the session are: Gulzar Ahmad Khan NA-4 Peshawar, Siraj Muhammad Khan NA-6 Peshawar, Nasir Khan Khattack NA-15 Karrak, Saleem Rehman NA-30 Swat-ii and Musarrat Ahmad Zaib (KP).
The sources pointed out that if the resolution for de-seating of the members is defeated, it would have no impact on the position of the members victim of absence clause as another resolution can be moved at any point in time.