ISLAMABAD: PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday cried foul after reports emerged on media regarding the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepting the resignations of more PTI lawmakers.
NA officials shared that Speaker Ashraf has accepted further resignations and forwarded them to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). However, there is no official confirmation on the matter.
Reacting to the development, Chaudhry tweeted that the purpose of PTI members going back to the assembly was to oust Raja Riaz from the position of the opposition leader. Otherwise, we have no reason to return to the National Assembly, he tweeted, adding: “
He also pointed out that 40pc of seats in the NA were now empty. “Right now, Shehbaz Sharif and his government have lost the support of 172 lawmakers. The only solution to this crisis is elections.”
Today’s development comes a day after 45 PTI MNAs sent their handwritten withdrawals to the speaker via email and demanded the nomination of a new opposition leader from among them.
Earlier in April, a total of 131 MNAs had submitted resignations minutes before the election of Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister. Subsequently, NA speaker Ashraf accepted only 11 of the resignations, stating that the remaining lawmakers would be summoned individually for verification.
nine Months Later
The PTI members also met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and informed him about their decision to return to the National Assembly after nine months.
After stalling the process for eight months, Ashraf accepted the resignations of 34 PTI MNAs on Jan 17 and thirty-five on January 20th this year including that of Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid. The PTI had hinted that it would “test” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a confidence vote.
