NA Speaker receives Rana Qasim Noon’s resignation

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Tuesday received resignation of another PML-N legislator Rana Qasim Noon.

Interestingly, the date on the resignation was April 9 but Noon recently chaired a standing committee meeting and even exchanged barbs with Minister of State for Finance Rana Afzal on the disposing of privilege motion of Minister of State for Finance against former Faisalabad DCO Noorul Amin Mengal.

According to spokesman of the National Assembly Secretariat, it was a violation of rules and procedure of conduct the business of the National Assembly to avail the perks and privileges and participate in any meeting of the National Assembly after tendering the resignation.

However, the spokesman through the official statement kicked off a new debate about the submission and acceptance of the resignation as the statement negates the past practice when NA Speaker held resignations of PTI legislators over a longer period of time during Dharna Days and during that period the PTI legislators continued to avail perks and privileges and even chair the standing committees.

The parliamentary experts said that it seems that the National Assembly Secretariat seems confused over the submission of resignation and acceptance of the resignations. “As per rules, the resignation stood valid when the Speaker National Assembly accepts the resignation and notifies it to the Election Commission of Pakistan for the vacant of seat,” the parliamentary experts said.

In the meanwhile, NA Speaker summoned Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Tahir Bashir Cheema, Rana Qasim Noon and Makhdoomzada Basit Bokhari for verification on the genuineness and voluntary submission of their resignations Monday but they did not turn up due to which they have again been invited on Friday.

However, the other four MNAs – Ramesh Kumar Vankvani, Ch Bilal Ahmed Virk, Bhawan Das and Rana Umer Nazir Khan – have not yet sent their resignations to the Speaker National Assembly.