Last opportunity: NA speaker summons PTI lawmakers to confirm resignations

ISLAMABAD: As a last opportunity the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday summoned PTI MNAs — who had quit en-masse in the aftermath of their government’s ouster last month, to confirm the “voluntary character and genuineness” of their resignation letters.

The NA speaker summoned the party legislators on June 6, the assembly’s spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the total number of MNAs who had resigned stood at 131. The Dawn newspaper has reported hinting a new political development but political observers are very doubtful whether this move will provide a last chance to PTI lawmakers to come back to National Assembly.

The lawmakers had resigned on April 11, two days after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from the top office after the no-confidence motion moved by the joint opposition in the parliament against him succeeded.

According to the NA spokesperson, the letters have been dispatched to the MNAs, informing them about the pre-condition of their appearance for acceptance of the resignations.

“I am directed to refer to the letter dated 11-4-2022 regarding your resignation from the seat of the National Assembly and to state that in pursuance of paragraph (b) of sub-rule (2) of rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, Honourable Speaker has desired to invite you in his Chamber for inquiry regarding voluntary character and genuineness of aforesaid resignation letter before its acceptance,” reads the letter sent to the PTI MNAs.

The NA spokesperson said the process for confirmation of the resignations will continue till June 10. “As many as 30 members will meet the NA speaker on a daily basis.”

Each legislator will be granted five minutes for the confirmation of the resignation, the official added.

In all, the PTI has 155 members in the 272-member House. Of them, 20 are dissidents who have been served notices by the party.

After Imran Khan was removed as prime minister on the night of April 9, his declarations against the dissident PTI MNAs were sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan on April 14 by the acting NA speaker. The PTI had also filed references against 20 MNAs seeking their disqualification.

In its verdict on the petitions on May 11, the ECP decided against de-seating 20 dissident PTI lawmakers, dismissing references against them sent by the party.

In its unanimous decision, a three-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja held that Article 63-A of the Constitution dealing with lawmakers’ disqualification on the grounds of defection did not apply to the 20 PTI MNAs who had jumped ship ahead of the no-confidence move last month.

Punjab Governor

In another surprising move, President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday approved the appointment of PML-N loyalist Balighur Rehman as the new Punjab governor, ending a weeks-long deadlock with the prime minister over the holder of the constitutional office.

The move comes after the president twice denied his assent to the prime minister’s nominees for the post, saying that Omar Sarfraz Cheema, who was de-notified by the federal government earlier this month, still held the office of Punjab governor as he (president) had not okayed his removal.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is currently hearing the case on whether the president has powers under the Constitution to overrule the prime minister’s decision to remove a governor. However, this move by the president might make those proceedings redundant.

According to a tweet from the President’s Office, Alvi approved the appointment based on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice in accordance with Article 101 (1) of the Constitution.

Rehman was elected to the National Assembly in 2013 and has previously served as the federal education minister. Rehman’s predecessor, PTI’s Omar Sarfraz Cheema, was removed from office on May 9, despite the president’s resistance.

Cheema had been appointed as the governor on April 3, days before the Imran Khan-led PTI government was ousted through a no-confidence vote. During his short time in office, Cheema had repeatedly refused to administer oath to PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz as the Punjab chief minister.

Eventually, PM Shehbaz had sent a summary for Cheema’s removal to the president on April 17, while Cheema had maintained that the prime minister did not have the authority to dismiss him and only the president could do so.

In that summary, PM Shehbaz had recommended the name of PPP’s Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood as the Punjab governor. However, when President Alvi had returned that summary after holding it for 15 days without a decision, the premier had re-endorsed the advice on May 1, asking for Cheema’s removal and the appointment of PML-N loyalist from Bahawalpur, Balighur Rehman, in his place.

The president, however, had also rejected the second summary and conveyed to the prime minister that the governor could not be removed without his approval and would continue to “hold office during the pleasure of the president” in accordance with clause 3 of Article 101 of the Constitution.

Subsequently, the federal government, in a late night announcement on May 9, had notified that Cheema had ceased to hold office on the advice of the prime minister sent to the president on April 17 and reinforced on May 1. Cheema has challenged his removal in the IHC, the next hearing of which is on May 31.