By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday termed the National Assembly speaker’s move to accept the resignations of its further 35 lawmakers ‘illegal’, as it reiterated the demand for fresh elections in the country.
PTI presser
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament House, senior PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Qaiser, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry and others claimed that NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf committed a violation and reneged on his words by accepting the resignations of further 35 MNAs of PTI.
Condemning the speaker’s move, Qaiser questioned whether he ensured the implementation of the Supreme Court verdicts regarding the resignations of PTI lawmakers.
Qaiser said the party legislators wanted to meet the speaker in person to submit and verify their resignations; however, they were not provided with the chance to do so, adding that what the speaker did was “immoral and illegal.”
Meanwhile, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan suffered an economic and political crisis as incompetent rulers were thrust upon the country.
He said around 64 per cent of Pakistan was left unrepresented in the national assembly, adding that the sitting government only represents 36 per cent of the country.
Chaudhry said decisions taken by statutory institutions in “closed-door meetings” were the reason behind Pakistan’s current crisis.
He reiterated his party’s demand for the early general elections, saying the nation would not forgive institutions if remedial measures were not undertaken immediately.
Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused the government of turning a blind eye to the plight of the public, adding that the government would not leave power until all [graft] cases against their leaders were quashed.
He demanded the NA speaker accepted all remaining resignations to end the political crisis, adding that holding general elections was the only way out of the prevailing circumstances.
In an apparent move to outnumber the PTI in the national assembly, the Speaker on Friday accepted the resignations of another 35 lawmakers of the party led by former prime minister Imran Khan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan also notified the PTI MNAs after the approval of their resignations.
