(Karachi) Taking a stiff stand against opposition parties’ blackmailing tactics, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to immediately accept the resignations of the opposition members as soon they are submitted, local media reported on Tuesday.

The decision was taken during a a meeting between the prime minister and NA speaker in Islamabad. The meeting decided not to bow down to blackmailing of the opposition parties over the issue of the resignations.

Imran instructed the speaker to accept the resignations after in-person verification of the elected representatives. “The resignations should be accepted within 30 minutes after verification,” the prime minister stated.

He said that the opposition is playing its cards to get National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Earlier, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 political parties, announced that members of the National Assembly and all provincial assemblies would submit their resignations to their respective leadership by December 31, in a bid to step up pressure on the PTI government.

The PDM leaders stated that once the opposition members submit their resignations, they will not be taken back like the PTI did in the past. However, none of the bigwig political leaders have submitted resignations to the NA speaker so far.