Sindh speaker surprises many by accepting PTI MPAs’ resignations

ISLAMABAD: The timing of acceptance of resignations of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers by the Sindh speaker has surprised many for the mere fact that PTI had stopped saying that it had left the assemblies.
After National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq rejected the resignations of the PTI’s federal lawmakers following interesting theatrics of senior party leaders at the parliament building, they settled on being part of the assemblies although they are refraining from attending parliamentary proceedings. However, they continued to take part in the meetings of the House committees.
Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani’s decision has come out of the blue as the four PTI legislators were no longer pressing their resignations or reminding him to hold their papers in order. The resignations were submitted some six month backs. The issue has slowly died its natural death. However, the speaker’s determination has revived it.
Only Durrani can explain why he acted so at this point of time, creating an unnecessary odd situation. Maybe, he wanted to tantalise the PTI, which had been taking on his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) quite uncharitably particularly attacking its top leadership. However, at the same time, his action is perfectly legal and constitutional.
His decision will surely not impress or persuade the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) into acting the same way on the resignations of the PTI lawmakers of the national and Punjab assemblies as he has done.
At all costs, it wants to keep them in the legislatures for the reason that their ouster will raise needless question marks about the democratic system.An argument given by some that Durrani’s decision is closely related to the March 3 election to half of the Senate is totally misplaced and devoid of any plausible logic. Just four PTI lawmakers in the 168-member Sindh Assembly were not going to make even a slight difference in this election.
A minimum of 24 members of the Sindh assembly are required to elect one senator. Given the composition of the provincial legislature, all eleven Senate seat will be shared by the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in proportion to their respective strengths.
Not only the PML-N but all the parliamentary players barring Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam sincerely want to keep the PTI in the parliamentary loop and had repeatedly urged Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to turn down the resignations, which he had done.
It is no secret that a predominant majority of the PTI federal and provincial lawmakers never willing to quit the assemblies and had just bowed before Imran Khan’s decision reluctantly, handing over their resignations. But still they had kept resisting their acceptance off. Had they been serious in getting out of the assemblies, they would have felt no hesitation in individually appearing before the speaker for quick acceptance of their resignations.
Since the time to say goodbye to the assemblies passed after the PTI abandoned its street agitation in the wake of the Peshawar tragedy, it is not interested in pushing its lawmakers out of the assemblies, but the Sindh speaker has deprived it of four seats.
Even at the height of its ominous protest which had rattled the Nawaz Sharif government, the PTI had taken every step to retain its seats in the assemblies. When its threat greatly subsided and its agitation whittled down, it was in no mood to leave the parliamentary seats. It will seriously think of resigning whenever its new protest will gather strength.
The PTI has the requisite numerical power only in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly to win a few Senate seats. There, its lawmakers have not quit mainly because of the firm opposition of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. Whether it boycotts the Senate election from the national and Punjab assemblies or takes part in it, it will be inconsequential as it is in no position to get even a single seat.