Farrukh Habib says letter written to NA speaker to accept MNAs resignations

• “A letter has been written by Shah Mahmood Qureshi to speaker.”
• 11 resignations were accepted on the basis of malice: Farrukh Habib
• PTI believes free and fair general elections are the only way: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Farrukh Habib, Pakistan Tehreeke e Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary Information and former minister of state for information & broadcasting, on Thursday said PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi had written a letter to the National Assembly speaker to approve PTI MNAs’ resignations, Bol News reported.

In a tweet, Farrukh Habib said, “A formal letter has been written by Shah Mahmood Qureshi to the National Assembly speaker to approve the resignations of PTI members. Earlier also, 11 resignations were accepted on the basis of malice and the remaining resignations were not accepted.”

In his letter, Qureshi said he was writing on the instructions of PTI chief Imran Khan and in his capacity as the vice chairman and deputy parliamentary leader of the party.

اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی PTIکے استعفوں کی منظوری کے لئے شاہ محمود قریشی صاحب کی جانب سے باقاعدہ خط لکھ دیا گیا ہے۔ پہلے بھی بدنیتی کی بنیاد پر 11استعفے قبول کرکےباقی استعفے منظور نہیں کئے گئے تھے۔
اسپیکر اور PDM کو اب راہ فرار اختیار نہیں کرنے دے گے
نئے انتخابات پاکستان کی ضرورت ہے pic.twitter.com/kRUWIOBpJi

— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) December 15, 2022

“After the conspiracy to remove former prime minister illegally and unconstitutionally from his office, 123 PTI members tendered their resignations on April 11, 2022. As the PTI vice chairman and deputy parliamentary leader, I made an unequivocal verbal announcement of the decision for all party members to resign from the National Assembly seats with the clear approval and agreement of 123 MNAs who were present on the floor of the assembly,” he said.

He said the resignations were accepted by the then National Assembly deputy speaker on April 13. The NA secretary Tahir Hussain even issued a notification seeking publication in the Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary Party –III. However, in a clear attempt by the current government to avoid general elections, the clear order of the former deputy speaker was not implemented, he maintained.

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“Subsequently, in a surprise and blatantly illegal manner, the resignations of just 11 members of the NA belonging to PTI were then suddenly accepted by you as speaker on July 28 and notification to remove the MNAs was issued in this respect.

“It remains unclear on what legal basis could your office selectively de-seat some of the members of the NA instead of all the members who had tendered their resignations at the same time and similar manner on April 11. Unfortunately, despite a clear position by PTI MNAs to resign and leave the NA, you have used your office as custodian of the House for partisan reasons and to provide political advantage to the current government,” he said.

The PTI leader said PTI continued to contest the unconstitutional and improper acceptance of a few (but not all) of the resignations tendered by members of the NA.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the PTI firmly believed that free and fair general elections were the only way to restore the public’s faith in the democratic process in Pakistan and to uphold the mandate and sanctity of the parliament.