Imran Khan, 23 PTI MNAs get Rs20m as salaries

ISLAMABAD: Disregarding his earlier stance of stopping the salaries of PTI legislators till the decision of the motion moved against them for remaining absent for more than 40 days during the sit-ins, the National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday allowed the release of 10-month salaries (over Rs 20 million) to 24 PTI members, including its chairman Imran Khan.
Sources in the National Assembly Secretariat confirmed the release of 10-month salaries to 24 PTI legislators who had earlier announced their resignations.Even Imran Khan did not attend a single sitting of the budget session that lasted for 20-days. Sources said each PTI legislator received Rs850,000 as salary, daily allowances and perks and privileges which were transferred into their accounts.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had earlier stopped the salaries of PTI members on the objection of the audit officials. A few days ago the speaker’s office made it clear that the salaries of PTI members will not be paid until the decision on voting of the disqualification motion moved by the MQM and JUI-F against the PTI legislators for remaining absent for over 40 consecutive days.
However, interestingly, two days back, the speaker directed the National Assembly Secretariat to release the entire amount to the PTI legislators from August 2014 to June 2015.The clause 44 of the Rules of Procedure and conduct of the Business in the National Assembly, 2007 read as: “(1) If a member is absent without leave of the assembly, for forty consecutive days of its sittings, the speaker shall bring the fact to the notice of the assembly and thereupon any member may move that the seat of the member who has been so absent be declared vacant under clause (2) of Article 64. (2) On consideration of the motion moved under sub-rule (1), the House may defer, reject or accept the motion and if motion is accepted the seat of the member shall be declared vacant: Provided that no such motion shall be considered before the expiry of seven days from the date on which the motion was moved.”