-Speaker asks Murtaza Javed, Muhammad Sajjad for verification
-PML-N denies MPs sending resignation to Speakers
-Opposition is now running away from resignations, says PM
-PML-F proposes ‘Track-II dialogue’ to engage N
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has asked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNAs Murtaza Javed and Muhammad Sajjad to verify their resignations from the house in person.
In a letter released from the NA speaker office, the resignations of both the MNAs were received on letterhead on December 14 and according to the record, their signs are also verified. Both the lawmakers have been directed to inform the date on which they can appear before the NA speaker for verification of their resignations.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has denied submission of resignations by both the MNAs with the NA speaker office. “MNA Murtaza Javed and Muhammad Sajjad have not submitted their resignations directly to the speaker NA.” Both submitted their resignations with the provincial party head Engineer Ameer Muqam.
It is to be mentioned here that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, earlier this month, had said that lawmakers belonging to different opposition parties would submit resignations to their respective party heads by December 31.
Meanwhile, the PPP chairman also shed light on the ongoing issue of his party members’ resignations from the national and provincial assemblies, saying that all PPP MPAs and MNAs have already submitted their resignations to him.
“I know how each and every member is being pressurised to retract their decisions. Do not treat my people like this,” he said. “I know who is doing this, so don’t compel me to expose you.”
“You cannot blackmail civil servants,” he said.
Elaborating on the different developmental projects that the Sindh government introduced in the province, Bilawal Bhutto said that the ruling PPP — with the help of public-private partnership — completed and initiated more projects in the province than the Centre and all other provinces combined.Meanwhile, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shahbaz have both submitted their resignations to the party, said PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah on Thursday.Rana Sana, addressing a press conference, said that Shahbaz had written his resignation when he last appeared in court.
“We have Shahbaz and Hamza’s resignation,” Rana Sana said, adding that both the leaders were standing by the party’s policy. Both the former chief minister of Punjab and his son, Hamza, are imprisoned in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore.
The development came after the National Assembly secretariat summoned two PML-N MNAs — Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Muhammad Sajid to — confirm their resignations.
According to a statement issued by the National Assembly secretariat, both members of the lower house had sent their resignations to the speaker on December 14.
Earlier, it was reported that some PML-N leaders had submitted their resignations directly to the speaker of the National Assembly, but the PML-N had refuted the reports. PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that both the leaders had submitted their resignations to the party’s provincial president.
A few hours earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s Muhammad Ali Durrani, after he met Shahbaz at Kot Lakhpat, said that once a series of resignations begins, it will be detrimental for democracy and the country in general.
The PML-F leader was referring to parliamentarians of major Opposition parties gearing up to hand in their resignations in an act of protest against the current government.
He said that Shahbaz had been advised to get on the “track to dialogue”, adding that the country must now move towards “back to politics” and “back to the parliament”.
Durrani said that Shahbaz told him he is willing to “go to any extent for the sake of unity in the country”. The PML-F member said that “fruitful” discussions took place with the PML-N president, noting that Shahbaz, who is the Leader of the Opposition, “wishes to see it stand united and also seeks to unite the country”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is now running away from submitting its lawmakers’ resignations to the speakers of the respective assemblies.
Presiding over a meeting of his party and government spokespersons, PM Imran Khan said that the opposition’s alliance will be broken soon due to their internal differences.
The prime minister said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was not appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as he had no answer to the questions pertaining to the corruption and assets beyond his known source of income.
