'PTI MNAs needed to withdraw resignations before returning to NA'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in the National Assembly (NA) will be needed to withdraw their resignations before returning to the Lower House, ARY News reported on Monday.

While talking to ARY News today, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah reacted to Imran Khan’s statement in which he hinted at joining back the National Assembly (NA). He said that the coalition government will welcome PTI MNAs in the National Assembly.

He said that PTI will review all of its decisions. He mocked Imran Khan by saying the PTI chief is already known as ‘U-turn Khan’ and he would face a humiliating defeat in Punjab after Karachi.

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“For returning to the National Assembly, PTI MNAs need to withdraw their resignations. They will have to sit in the assembly and submit a request to the opposition leader.”

He added that the NA speaker may accept the requests of PTI MNAs for the withdrawal of their resignations after their return to the House.

“We are asking them from the first day to act like a politician and return to the assembly. They keep running a campaign for bankruptcy of the country.”

Sanaullah said that elections will be held in the same assembly for which Imran Khan was trying to dissolve for a long time. He hinted at questioning the PTI lawmakers for their attempts to dissolve the assembly before the completion of the tenure.

Rana Sanaullah said that PML-N will actively participate in the Punjab elections and PTI will be given a surprise in Punjab which will be bigger than Karachi.

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The interior minister said that PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif vowed to return to the country, however, consultation was not held yet regarding his expected return.

To a question, he said that the country is bearing the brunt of Imran Khan’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the incumbent government will explain the reasons for the inflation to the nation.

‘Planning to return to NA’

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan, while meeting with senior journalists, 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”.

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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.

Imran Khan added that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was supposed to increase petroleum prices but did not, therefore, he claimed, International Monetary Fund (IMF) will not release funds.

In response to another question, Khan said the future of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was with PTI. “If PML-Q contests the election with the symbol of the bat then they will win. I also want this coalition mechanism to end,” he further said.