National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers will be summoned individually for verification of their resignations, reported Aaj News.

His comments came in a meeting with the PTI delegation, led by Asad Qaiser, which was held to discuss the issue of verification of resignations.

It is pertinent to mention that PTI wanted collective verification of its lawmakers. The PTI had announced mass resignations on April 11, when the Shehbaz Sharif-led government took oath after ousting PTI chief and former PM Imran Khan.

NA speaker to meet PTI MNAs on Thursday to discuss ‘resignations’

Speaking to media after the meeting, Ashraf said “lawmakers of one party cannot decide to mass resign all of a sudden because it builds pressure on the government. Thousands of people are behind each MNA and mass resignations are violation of public rights.”

Sharing details of the meeting, Ashraf said that the PTI members asked him to accept resignations of 127 party workers in a collective manner.

“Every MNA will have to write a separate resignation,” he stressed adding that discussions, and not resignations, will solve the problems facing Pakistan.

He stressed that there are some rules and regulations and limitations for the approval of resignations.

Assemblies should complete their terms: NA speaker

“The speaker has the responsibility to make sure that the [resigning] MNAs are not under pressure,” he added. He shared he had urged PTI members to return to the Parliament.

Ashraf said that a decision regarding the confirmation of resignations would be taken as per the Constitution and the rules of the National Assembly.

On July 28, the National Assembly speaker accepted the resignations of 11 PTI lawmakers who had resigned after the vote of no confidence against Imran.

Resignations: NA speaker says will invite PTI MPs for verification

The PTI challenged the move in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on August 1, contesting that it was “unsustainable”. The IHC, however, had dismissed the petition on September 6.

The party then approached the Supreme Court, praying it to set aside the IHC order, terming it “vague, cursory, and against the law”. A decision on the PTI’s plea in the apex court is still pending.