Speaker sends 43 more resignations of PTI MNAs to ECP for approval

ISLAMABAD: Political tug of war continuing here as the Election Commission has received resignations of 43 more MNAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has accepted and forwarded 43 resignations of the PTI MNAs to the ECP for approval, sources said.

The speaker has sent resignations of Lal Chand,Riaz Fatyana, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Sardar Talib, Ghazala Saifi, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Nafeesa Khattak, Niaz Ahmed, Sahibzada Mehboob and Munazza Hassan and others.

Ashraf had accepted resignations of 70 PTI members last week in two phases, while 43 resignations have been sent to the election commission today.

Talking to media yesterday outside the election commission, PTI leader Amir Dogar said the party had submitted the commission a list carrying the names of 45 MNAs who have withdrawn their resignations from the National Assembly.

“Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja personally received our application and we requested him that the ECP must play its constitutional role,” he told reporters.

Earlier PTI Secretary General Asad Umar in his tweet said the PTI’s 44 MNAs have decided to withdraw their resignations.

He said the PTI has been demanding the NA speaker to accept all the resignations in one go but he remained reluctant to do the same as he announced to approve the resignations one by one after meeting with the lawmakers.

PTI leader said an email has been sent to the NA speaker and the next step would be to replace dissident Raja Riaz as leader of the opposition.

It may be noted that last week, the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of 35 more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs.

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

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had decided to resign from the National Assembly on April 11 last year, minutes before the election of Shehbaz Sharif as the new prime minister.