JUI-F bent upon getting absent PTI MNAs disqualified

Islamabad
The two-week long National Assembly ended on Friday with no chance of any patch-up between the government and PTI. Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi read out four remaining names of the PTI lawmakers who have not attended the session for 40 days and now only six are left who have already announced not to submit their resignation in revolt against the party policy and have since been expelled from the party. The Speaker is bound to accede to any member's move and disqualify all those members of the house who are proved to have remained absent for 40 days of house proceedings. Under Article 68 of the Constitution the speaker can take notice of such absence at his own as well or can act on a motion by any member. This time round JUI (F) female lawmaker Kishwar Naeema has taken upon herself under party instructions to move the motion in coming session. Earlier, the same lawmaker had drawn the attention of the house towards continuous absence of PTI members from the house without its permission.
When asked for party reaction, PTI spokesperson Dr. Shireen Mazari told The News: "Our position is clear, we have submitted our resignations from Parliament and want those be accepted. The party could have considered the option of coming back to the house had the government accepted its demand of holding an inquiry into the 2013 poll rigging".
Commenting on finance minister Ishaq Dar's statement about setting up of judicial commission she said: "Let us see what he offers on return as he has been saying something and doing something else".
Earlier during the session, the DS who presided over all the sittings of the session had declared 10 and 13 names on consecutive days as absent from the house for more than 40 days. As far as PTI's position is concerned it has been demanding of the Speaker to accept their resignations, as they were not willing to sit in a house, which could not protect their rights. Imran Khan's more than 120-day dharna also failed to break the ice and as a result other than the ruling party a number of lawmakers objected to the stalemate and wanted it to be decided once and for all.
It is interesting to note that neither the ruling PML-N nor the main opposition in the lower house, Pakistan People's Party, has been in favour of disqualification of PTI MNAs thus the Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was persuaded by various political leaders not to accept their resignations that were tendered back in August last year.
Kunwar Dilshad, a former secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan has said no one has ever been disqualified in the parliamentary history of the country except in one case involving former Senator Sanaullah Zehri. He further stated that parliamentary traditions and political exigencies apart there was need for everyone to abide by the constitution and any member who remains absent from the house without its permission for more than 40 days loses its membership if the Speaker so decides.