PTI’s Opp leader in Sindh PA Shamim Naqvi resigns

KARACHI: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh's key leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi on Wednesday tendered his resignation from the post. The party’s sources told The News that PTI’s top leadership had asked Naqvi to resign from the post after his September 18 outburst when he strongly criticised the PTI-led federal government, saying that it has been two years since the party came into power and it has not solved the gas issue in Karachi. “I am not concerned if it is the PTI's government [at the Centre] or the PML-N's," he said during a press conference outside the Sui Southern Gas Office in Karachi. “The city has very poor gas delivery. I will keep on raising my voice. The prime minister should listen, Omar Ayub should listen and Nadeem Babar should also listen. I will make sure they feel ashamed and will say to them 'Koi sharam hoti hai koi haya hoti hai (Where is your shame, your honour?)'," said Naqvi. It stirred quite a storm. Besides, a group of PTI’s MPAs have raised complaints to the party’s central leadership against Naqvi for the harsh attitude towards them, party sources said.

However, on the same night, Naqvi tweeted an apology to party workers for not having conveyed his “words” properly which he admitted seemed to indicate that he was criticising Prime Minister Imran Khan. And on the same night, he formally submitted his request to step down from the post on September 18 to Governor Sindh Imran Ismail while apologising for his remarks against the PTI, Prime Minister Imran Khan and power minister Omar Ayub.

Ismail has confirmed that Naqvi had "on ethical grounds handed in his resignation to me. However, the prime minister has yet to accept his resignation.