Constitutional amendment: Only three PTI MPs respond to show-cause notices

ISLAMABAD: Out of six members of parliament of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), only three have submitted replies to the show-cause notices served on them almost three weeks ago in the wake of the passage of 26th Constitutional Amendment.

According to the party sources, Miqdad Ali Khan (NA-86, Sargodha), Riaz Fatyana (NA-107, Toba Tek Singh) and Aslam Ghumman (NA-74, Sialkot) have replied to the notices, whereas the fourth one i.e. Zain Qureshi NA-150, Multan), has chosen so far not to do it.

Likewise, PTI senators Faisal Saleem Rehman and Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimour were also issued such notices and all the six lawmakers were given seven days for reply. However, both of them have failed to reply to these notices.

Sources claimed it was quite unlikely the junior Qureshi will respond to the notice. Zain, who is the son of senior party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, had gone underground as per instructions of his father (to lie low) at the time of the amendment.

The junior Qureshi had issued a short video message after getting the notice and announced resignation from the post of deputy parliamentary leader till the ‘inquiry’ is made into the matter. He also announced to quit politics if his meeting with any government official was proved.

These sources claimed that there was a strong lobby opposed to taking any strong action against the MNA from Multan. The committee concerned is yet to meet to take up the matter pertaining to the future of these lawmakers.

“A difference of opinion prevails in the party on this particular issue at this juncture,” a senior party leader contended while wishing not to be named here.

The notices were issued separately to each lawmaker for allegedly violating the party orders by leaving their designated locations and avoiding contact with the party or its authorised persons in the days leading up to the voting on the amendment.

The party leadership in the notice had claimed to have been provided with credible evidence and statements from reliable sources that they had full intention of defecting in case their vote was needed. These members of parliament were warned that if they failed to respond to this notice, it would be assumed that they have nothing to say in their defence and they will be proceeded against without further notice, including expulsion from the party.