NA speaker accepts resignations of 35 more PTI leaders

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 20 Jan 2023

The National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday approved the resignations of another 35 lawmakers of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Resignations of Maleeka Ali Bokhari, Andaleeb Abbas, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Syed Fakhr Imam and others have been accepted.

The accepted resignations include four women reserved seats.

The move came forward amid threats from the PTI to return to parliament only to foil a vote of confidence, which the party hoped President Dr Arif Alvi would seek from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Below are the PTI members whose resignations have been approved in the fresh episode.

Earlier, NA speaker on Tuesday suddenly accepted the long-awaited resignations of PTI members.

The previous phase of approved resignations included names of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Shafqat Mahmood, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and others.

Following the move, a notification to de-seat the lawmakers who had resigned was also issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

PTI members headed towards parliament

After NA speakers’ acceptance of another 35 resignations of PTI members, they headed on foot towards the parliament.

They demanded NA speaker to accept all resignations in one go, and not in phases.

On the arrival of PTI lawmakers, the main gate of the parliament house was immediately closed for entry.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi outside the parliament said that they have come to resign, the resignations of other members must be accepted right now.

While, PTI Speaker Asad Qaiser also had arguments with the security guards at the gate; after he repeatedly asked them to get them entered.