NA Speaker tells PTI’s ex-MNAs they can’t be taken back

ISLAMABAD: The PTI ex-legislators Monday met Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf seeking restoration of their membership; however, they were told point blank that the resignations had been accepted strictly in accordance with the Constitution and Rules of Business of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

In a meeting with the PTI delegation, led by former PTI chief whip in the National Assembly Malik Aamir Dogar, Ashraf conveyed that each PTI member had been written separately for individual verification of his/her resignation time and again but not a single member appeared before him.

The speaker however assured the PTI delegation that their request for reversing the decision would be put before the legal team of the National Assembly Secretariat and they will be informed accordingly.

In response to the delegation’s demand for reversing the decision of accepting the resignations, the speaker informed them that the process for acceptance of resignations was started after his meeting with a PTI delegation led by both former speaker Asad Qaiser and former chief whip Malik Amir Dogar, as they had demanded immediate acceptance of their resignations.

Welcoming the PTI delegation, the speaker said the resolution of all challenges was possible only through a dialogue. Ashraf also said that being the custodian of the House, he was bound to take decisions as per the Constitution.

Emphasizing the need for improving political stability in the country, the speaker said the solution to all the problems lay in negotiations adding that the country’s current situation demanded political stability and harmony.

He said all political parties need to adopt a culture of tolerance to ensure political stability. Ashraf said if the political fight was sacrificed for the country’s interest, then the country’s problems could be solved.

He said the people had elected their representatives and pinned all their hopes on the Parliament. “If the elected representatives do not give importance to the parliament, then how the problems of their electorate will be solved,” he asked.

As per details, the PTI’s 11 ex-members tried to attend the House proceedings. However, the assembly staff told them that they could not enter the House, as Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had already accepted their resignations.

The former members included Aamir Dogar, Kunwal Shozzib, Tahir Sadiq, Sajida Begum, Aamir Kayani, Aasima Hadeed, Amjad Niazi, Sanaullah Khan Mastikhail, Zille Huma, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Faizullah and Khurram Shehzad.

The former PTI members were greeted by Speaker Raja in his chamber and they also had a brief chat with Noor Alam Khan. Parliamentary sources told The News that the incumbent Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmad wasn’t present in his chamber.