Govt, opposition discuss disqualification of 26 PTI MPAs today

LAHORE: In a bid to diffuse the ongoing political crisis that arose due to disqualification of 26 MPAs of PTI, the Punjab government and PTI will discuss the issue on Sunday (today).

Sources said both the government and the opposition have formed their respective negotiation committees to hold dialogue over the issue of speaker’s disqualification reference against the latter’s members in the Punjab Assembly. With the second session of the negotiation committees set to take place on Sunday (today), the talks, if successful, might lead to Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan dropping the disqualification reference. The government side will be led by Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman and comprise Salman Rafique, Rana Arshad, Samiullah, Ahmed Iqbal, Ali Haider Gilani, Shafay Hussain and Shoaib Siddiqui. Meanwhile, the opposition committee would include Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, Ali Imtiaz, Sheikh Imtiaz and Ejaz Shafi.

Last week, the speaker had filed the disqualification reference with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against 26 MPAs over ruckus, sloganeering, shouting and tearing of documents in the house during the budget session.