ISLAMABAD: As Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has hinted at accepting the resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers any time soon, PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday directed the MNAs to submit their handwritten resignations with the party within one week.

On Thursday, NA speaker said that he would once again invite the PTI lawmakers to confirm their resignations by appearing before him in person as they did not turn up earlier in June.

However, he is yet to announce the date for the lawmakers to appear before him and confirm they are going to resign at their own free will – a legal requirement which the party wants to fulfill.

Last week, PTI vice-chairman had written a letter to NA speaker for acceptance the resignations of his party lawmakers, but after some reluctance the party warned to approach Supreme Court seeking remedy in this regard.

After PTI warned to approach apex court, the NA speaker, in a statement, said that he would once again invite the lawmakers, as they did not appear when they were asked to confirm their resignations back in June.

A senior PTI leader who declined to be named said that the NA speaker is willfully delaying the resignations of PTI MPs, as the rulers are afraid of going for early polls.

He said that with the resignations of about 123 PTI MNAs from National Assembly coupled with dissolution of two provincial assemblies – Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – 563 seats from across the country will be vacated and elections will be held on them.

“In such a situation, the government will be left with no option but to go for elections all over the country,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022