Acceptance of resignations: My decision proved correct, says Raja

ISLAMABAD: The Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday said that his decision with regard to acceptance of 43 MNAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) proved correct after Lahore High Court (LHC) upheld his decision.

In statement after LHC detailed verdict – a copy of which was also received by NA Secretariat – the speaker said that PTI’s propaganda of restoring seats proved wrong.

He said that “by simply suspending the notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the 35 resignations, the Commission has been prohibited by the court from conducting by-elections in these constituencies until the hearing is completed”.

The speaker said that his stance proved correct as he not only considered the issue of resignations with great restraint but had also repeatedly summoned the PTI MNAs.

“Despite being summoned repeatedly to confirm their resignations, the PTI MNAs did turn up and kept pressing for acceptance of their resignation,” he added.

The NA speaker said that when he approved the resignations, the PTI lawmakers raised objections on his decision, which was unconstitutional.

The LHC in its detailed verdict declared that “ECP shall remain suspended and the schedule for the seats shall not be announced by ECP. The process of by-elections to these seats shall remain suspended.

The notification of National Assembly Speaker of 22/01/2023 has not been attached (though challenged) and thus no interim relief can be considered to that extent”.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023