MNAs to be summoned individually for verification of resignations, speaker tells PTI

MNAs to be summoned individually for verification of resignations, speaker tells PTI. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday informed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation led by Asad Qaiser that for verification of the resignation the party’s lawmakers will be called individually.

The delegation met the speaker in his chamber to discuss their resignation verification issue amid talk of the party’s return to the assembly.

The delegation included former speaker Asad Qaiser senior PTI leaders Qasim Suri, Amir Dogar, Amjad Niazi and Faheem Khan.

PTI’s Chief Whip Amir Dogar had contacted the NA speaker, requesting him to meet the PTI delegation.

According to Raja Parvez Ashraf, he welcomed them to meet him, saying that dialogues are the only solution in a parliamentary democracy. However, he added that verification of their resignation would still be subject to one-by-one meetings.

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However, on Wednesday, the NA speaker said that the PTI delegation did not come to meet him today and asked for a meeting today at 11:30am.

“Dogar told me that some of the PTI leaders wanted to meet me regarding their resignations; however, I told him that I would meet all of them separately and not in groups,” added Ashraf.

On Wednesday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said they are willing to play a role in Parliament, but the government is not ready to commit seriously.

The PTI leader made the remarks while reacting to Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s statement against PTI chief Imran Khan.

Bilawal, addressing a gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh held to mark the 15th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, asked the PTI chief to return to parliament as neither he nor his party “could bear” what’s coming to them.

The PTI MNAs had resigned en masse after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was voted out from the prime minister’s office in April and have yet to return to the house.