NA to take up MQM motion for de-seating of PTI MNAs in August

ISLAMABAD: The MQM’s motion for de-seating the PTI MNAs for not attending the assembly for 40 consecutive days will not be taken up in the current session, as it will prorogue on next Wednesday.
The motion, moved on Wednesday, could only be considered for voting before the expiry of seven days starting from the date on which the motion was moved.
The current session of the National Assembly will prorogue on next Wednesday completing the seven days and hence the motion could only be taken up in the next session.
Clause 44 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Business in the National, 2007 reads, “(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 the 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.”
Interestingly, there would be no session of the National Assembly in May and the next session will be held in June which will be the budget session, and in line with the parliamentary precedence there is no private members day in the budget session so it is expected that the motion would be taken up in August.
Meanwhile, in an informal talk with newsmen in his chamber, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said voting on the MQM motion will be held in next session. Sadiq said the motions of the MQM and JUI-F for de-seating the PTI legislators had been clubbed together and now the law and the Constitution would be followed for their disposal.
He said one of the PTI leaders had asked him not to take any action on these motions otherwise a wrong impression will emerge against him. “But I made it clear to them that it was not possible for me to stop the action on motion, as everything is clear in the law and the Constitution,” he added.
Talking about the installation of solar plant at the Parliament House, he said the China-funded Rs280 million project would complete in September. “The completion of project would help us save Rs40 million in the head of electricity bill,” he added.