Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan will himself contest by-election from 33 vacant seats after the resignations of 34 members of PTI and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed were accepted by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Talking to a private TV channel, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said that Imran Khan will be the candidate of Tehreek-e-Insaf for all these constituencies. “This is a symbolic election, there is no real election so we need not to nominate other candidates,” he maintained. Asad Umar said once the decision to return to the National Assembly is made, then as many PTI members are eligible will go to the National Assembly. He said that if the speaker wants to keep PTI away from parliamentary posts including Leader of the Opposition, then only 35 resignations will not work.

Asad Umar said that the resignations of all the senior PTI leaders have been accepted due to the fear that their return to the assembly can bring down the PDM government. “They have to take the vote of confidence, we have nothing to do. Either we 35 are in the assembly or not, it makes no difference,” he maintained. He further said that one of the goals of the government could be keeping the important PTI leaders busy during the election of provincial assemblies.

Asad Umar said that PTI members are not going to participate in the regular proceedings of the National Assembly, but the purpose of going to the Lower House is to sit with the federal government and be a part of the consultation on the caretaker setup.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on de-notified 35 more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of the National Assembly (MNAs) following the acceptance of their resignations by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

According to an ECP notification, 33 general and two reserved seats of the National Assembly were now deemed vacant. “Consequent upon the acceptance of resignations by the Hon’ble Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan and in pursuance of the Notification No F.21 (4)/2022- lagis dated 17th January, 2023 of National Assembly of Pakistan. the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby de-notifies the following Members of National Assembly of Pakistan with immediate effect,” the notification read

The de-notified MNAs include Murad Saeed, NA 04; Omer Ayub Khan, NA 17; Asad Qaiser, NA 18; Pervaiz Khattak, NA 25; Imran Khattak, NA 26; Sheharyar Afridi, NA 32; Ali Amin Khan, NA 38; Noor ul Haq Qadri, NA 43; Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, NA 52; Ali Nawaz Awan, NA 53; Asad Umer, NA 54; Sadaqat Ali Khan, NA 57; Ghulam Sardar Khan, NA 59; Sheikh Rashid Shafique, NA 60; Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, NA 62; Mansoor Hayat Khan, NA 63; Fawad Ahmed, NA 67; M Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, NA 97; Muhammad Hammad Azhar, NA 126; Shafqat Mehmood Khan, NA 130; Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, NA 155; Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Hussain Qureshi, NA 156; Zartaj Gul,NA 191; Faheem Khan, NA 241; Saif ur Rehman, NA 242; Muhammad Alamgir Khan, NA 243; Syed Ali Haider, NA 244; Aftab Hussain Shafique, NA 247; Attaullah, NA 250; Aftab Jehangir, NA 252; Muhammad Aslam Khan, NA 254; Muhammad Najeeb Haroon, NA 256 and Muhammad Qasim Khan Suri, NA 265. Aliya Hamza Malik and Kanwal Shauzab, who were elected as PTI MNAs on reserved seats for women from Punjab, were also denotified.