NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to not accept nor reject PTI resignations: sources

• The PTI members have refused to appear before the speaker to confirm their resignations.
• The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz coalition government is prolonging the matter to avoid elections as it fears the PTI win.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has decided to neither accept nor reject the resignations of the Pakistan Tehreek–e-Insaf legislators in a bid to avoid by-elections, sources informed Bol News on Thursday.

The PTI members have refused to appear before the speaker to confirm their resignations. Their resignations have been put aside at the Speaker’s office as the coalition government has decided to prolong the matter further.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz coalition government is prolonging the matter to avoid elections as it fears the PTI win. Notification for resignations can not be issued before the confirmation of PTI legislators as according to assembly regulations.

Read more: NA speaker summons PTI MNAs to verify their resignations

On April 22, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had said that the resignations of PTI members would be accepted in accordance with the law. The speaker had said that the resignations had been de-sealed but for the acceptance the members would be called in the chamber.

He had maintained that he would personally meet the resigning members soon to begin the process of accepting the resignations. It is pertinent to mention here that all the PTI members, except the dissident ones, had decided to resign from the national assembly ahead of the no-confidence vote.