Shah Mahmood Qureshi pens letter to NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to reconfirm remaining resignations
ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has penned down a letter to National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, urging him to verify the remaining resignations of party lawmakers
PTI Vice Chairman, in his letter to NA Speaker, stated that the PTI MNAs can return to National Assembly for verification of their resignations.
Qureshi said: “I am writing to you on the instructions of the Chairman PTI and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, and in my capacity as the Vice Chairman and Deputy Parliamentary Leader of the party.”
He wrote that after the conspiracy to remove former PM illegally and unconstitutionally from his office, 123 members of PTI MNAs tendered their resignations on the floor of the house on 11 April 2022. “I made an unequivocal verbal announcement of the decision for all party members to resign from National Assembly seats with the clear approval and agreement of 123 MNAs who were present on the floor of the National Assembly,” he added.
In the letter, Qureshi pointed out that 123 PTI MNAs submitted written resignations to former Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on April 11, 2022. “The lawmakers had submitted resignations as per constitution and assembly rules”, the letter added.
“The resignations were accepted by the then Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly on April 13, 2022,” it noted, adding that Secretary National Assembly Tahir Hussain had also issued a notification in this regard.
However, he said that in a clear attempt by the current government to avoid general elections in the country, the clear order of the former Deputy Speaker was not implemented. “Later, only 11 resignations were accepted illegally on July 28,” it stated.
“It remains unclear on what legal basis could your office selectively de-seat some of the members of the NA instead of all the members who had tendered their resignations at the same time and similar manner on 11 April 2022. Unfortunately, despite a clear position by PTI MNAs to resign and leave the National Assembly,” the letter reads.
He stated: “You have used the position to give political advantage to the government.” Nevertheless, Qureshi said that in the interest of democracy and to demonstrate the clear political choice of the people of Pakistan, our party contested the by-elections held on the seats vacated because of this selective acceptance of resignations. The public’s verdict in favor of PTI became very evident in these by-elections whereby the party won 75% of the by-election seats.
“We once again formally request you (Raja Pervaiz) to verify the remaining resignations without any delay,” Qureshi said, hoping that the speaker would not delay the matter any further.
“Although there is no need for any further action from our side, especially given the consistent public position taken by the party leadership and the individual members of parliament in respect of these resignation letters, we could agree a time with you during the next week when we can come to the National Assembly and re-confirm resignations tendered by our members of the National Assembly,” he added.
The letter reads that the proceedings of the NA, including passage of various key legislations, in the absence of the largest and most popular political party of the country from the floor of assembly, are a question mark on the legitimacy of the actions of this current incomplete National Assembly.
“We firmly believe that free and fair general elections are the only way to restore the public’s faith in the democratic process in Pakistan and to uphold the mandate and sanctity of the parliament,” he concluded.