Blow to PTI as NA speaker approves resignations of remaining 43 MNAs
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf suffered a major blow on Tuesday as National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf approved resignations of the remaining 43 PTI MNAs, reported 24NewsHD TV channel, quoting sources.
The sources further revealed that National Assembly Secretariat after getting speaker’s approval forwarded the latest lot of PTI resignations to the Election Commission of Pakistan for notifying them.
Now the number of resignations of PTI legislators approved by the NA speaker rose to 113.
The latest development came a day after PTI makers tried to meet NA speaker for withdrawal of their resignations but in vain. They later went to ECP where the chief elections commissioner assured them that the National Assembly speaker had not sent a summary for de-notifying more MNAs of their party.
“If the Speaker asks for de-notifying more PTI MNAs, we will consider your request,” the CEC told the PTI delegation.
Earlier on Monday, PTI leader Asad Umar had said that the party had emailed National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf informing him about their decision regarding resignations withdrawal. The party wanted to withdraw resignations of its 44 MNAs, not yet accepted by the NA speaker, he added.
On Friday last, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted another 35 resignations of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmakers.
The National Assembly speaker after accepting the resignations sent the list to the Election Commission of Pakistan which later de-notified the fresh lot of 35 PTI lawmakers after completing necessary action.
Earlier, on Jan 17, the speaker had accepted resignations of 34 MNAs of the PTI and one resignation of Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.
As many as 123 PTI MNAs had resigned en masse from the lower house of parliament following the ouster of PTI chief Imran Khan in April last year. Subsequently, the NA speaker had accepted only 11 of the resignations.
Only dissident PTI MNAs have now been left in the House.
Reporter Usman Khan