NA speaker accepts resignations of 35 more PTI MNAs

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday accepted the resignations of 35 more Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNAs, ARY News reported.

After the announcement of PTI MNAs’ return to the National Assembly, the federal government made a motion to accept their resignations in an apparent bid to reduce the number of opposition lawmakers.

قومی اسمبلی اسپیکر راجہ پرویز اشرف نے قواعد و ضوابط کے مطابق پی ٹی آئی کے مزید 35 ارکان اسمبلی کے استعفے منظور کر لئے_ pic.twitter.com/QokSWmn9hk

— National Assembly of 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) January 20, 2023

The speaker accepted the resignations of PTI MNAs and sent them to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for further proceedings.

Read more: MANY PTI MNAS ASKED TO HOLD ACCEPTANCE OF RESIGNATIONS: NA SPEAKER

Earlier, the National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf claimed that many Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are yet to decide on their resignations.

“I am fully satisfied after accepting the resignations of those MNAs who had made confirmations. Many PTI contacted me to hold the acceptance of their resignations as they are undecided yet.”

Prior to the latest move, the NA speaker put a condition to separately verify the resignations of the PTI lawmakers, however, the opposition party was urging Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to collectively approve the resignations.

In July last year, NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs.

Imran Khan hints at returning NA

Imran Khan hinted at returning to National Assembly for caretaker setup, claiming that his party was in contact with “several Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers”.

“We will test them (PML-N MNAs) first then will add them to party folds,” Imran said, adding: “If we don’t return to National Assembly then the government will form the caretaker setup in consultation with the opposition leader Raja Riaz”.

The PTI chairman further said that his party had decided to put Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the test through “different plans”, including a confidence vote in parliament.