Daily Times

Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri Thursday accepted the resignations of 123 PTI MNAs following the ouster of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from the office of prime minister through a no-confidence motion. After his removal from the office, Imran asked his MNAs to tender their resignations and refused to accept the newly elected premier, saying “there can’t be any bigger insult to this country”. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Imran Khan lauded his MNAs for tendering their resignations. “Want to appreciate our 123 MNAs as their resignations have been accepted by Speaker Qasim Suri. Their standing firm for a sovereign Pak & against US-initiated regime change bringing to power criminals, convicted & on bail – the ultimate insult to any self-respecting indep[endent] nation.” Responding to the call of the former prime minister, PTI’s MNAs tendered their resignations to the deputy speaker of the National Assembly hours before the election of Shehbaz Sharif as the new prime minister. The decision was reportedly made during the PTI’s parliamentary party meeting on April 11.

A media report quoted Imran as saying: “We will not sit in this assembly under any circumstances.” He said PTI will not sit in the Assembly with the “people who have robbed Pakistan” and who have been “imported by foreign forces”. “We have made this decision to keep the institutions under pressure who want this government to run the country […] we will not let them continue.” It is worth mentioning that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can hold the by-elections at any given point and it is not bound by any time limit. PTI leader Farrukh Habib Thursday said the resignations of 123 legislators of his party had been accepted by the acting speaker Qasim Suri. A notification has also been issued in this regard, the ex-minister said in a tweet. Habib, a former state minister, said general elections had now become inevitable after the acceptance of resignations submitted by the PTI lawmakers. Meanwhile, former prime minister Khan has written a letter to the ECP, saying that no member of the PTI should be nominated to any committee, as the party lawmakers had already tendered their resignations from the lower house of the parliament on April 11.

“In the wake of foreign intervention into internal affairs of Pakistan and the events and circumstances related thereto, PTI decided not to be the part of the ultra-constitutional exercise of regime change and formation of an imported government,” he wrote in the letter.

Imran pointed out that there was no representative of the PTI in the National Assembly, while defectors had already been proceeded against under Article 63-A of the Constitution

“I hereby withdraw all names given in the list to this commission in priority on women as well as minority seats. I, therefore, declare that PTI will not be a party to any proceedings, steps or action taken on its behalf on any forum and will outright reject any/all efforts to use the Name of PTI.”

Commenting on the acceptance of resignations, renowned lawyer Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar said a new constitutional debate had emerged after success of vote of no-confidence against the previous government when members belonging to previous ruling party on the day of voting gave their resignations in good numbers to deputy speaker. This constitutional situation further aggravated the situation and fate of the resignation of PTI members when the previous elected speaker of National Assembly tendered resignation before the process of vote of no confidence, and the office of speaker got vacant.

He said speaker of National Assembly has been defined in definition Clause of Rule 2 of Rules of Procedure Conduct of National Assembly 2007, which means Speaker of National Assembly, and includes the Deputy Speaker or any other member for the time being acting as Chairperson, thus for all purposes, in absence of Speaker. The Deputy Speaker or the Chairperson can preside Assembly Session in Speaker’s absence or in resignation situation and to act and perform all functions relating to Speaker prescribed 45 and Rule 46 Rules of Procedure Conduct of National Assembly 2007.

Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar said Rule 14 of Rules of Procedure Conduct of National Assembly 2007 deals with powers and functions of Speaker, and in that situation if Speaker National Assembly resigns from the seat of Speaker, the Deputy Speaker can exercise all powers under the Rules of Procedure Conduct of National Assembly 2007 till the vacancy is filled through a new election of a Speaker prescribed under Rule 12 of Rules of Procedure Conduct of National Assembly 2007.