Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Amid uproar from opposition members, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, demanding he resign from his post.

The resolution was tabled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Ali Haider. However, as soon as Speaker Dr Mehr Taj Roghani allowed the MPA to move the resolution, opposition members, led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), advanced to the speaker’s chair and started chanting slogans against the government. ‘Go Nawaz Go’ and ‘Go Imran Go’ slogans were chanted from both sides. As the ruckus continued, the government members managed to pass the resolution with a clear majority. Upon continued protests from the Opposition, the speaker adjourned the session till Friday.

Talking to reporters after the session, PML-N Parliamentary Leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota said that the rules needed to be relaxed to table a resolution. “However, the speaker did not relax the rules and allowed the PTI member to table the resolution. Imran Khan had categorically stated that he would accept the Supreme Court of Pakistan decision. However, PTI members continue to object to the verdict,” Nalota said.

Awami National Party (ANP) Parliamentary Leader Sardar Hussain Babak said that all parties should respect the SC verdict in Panama Papers case. He said that political parties should let the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) do its job instead of raising objections.

Referring to The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesaab Commission (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017, Sardar Babak said that the act itself was unconstitutional as it gave the powers of government to judiciary for the appointment of the Ehtisab Commission director general (DG). He said that Opposition members wanted more time to consider the amendments in the act, which they were not granted. Babak said that both Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Dr Mehr Taj Roghani had failed to run assembly affairs in a fair manner. “They should start wearing PTI caps while chairing the session as well,” Babak said.