Imran forcefully taking resignations from PTI MNAs: Former speaker of NA
ISLAMABAD
Former speaker of the National Assembly and PML-N MNA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday called for placing the entire staff of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) along with its chairman on the Exit Control List (ECL) for their alleged corruption during the PTI-led government.
Talking to reporters in Islamabad, Sadiq accused the accountability watchdog of turning a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the then PTI government and “targeting” their rivals. Senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had on Tuesday also voiced similar sentiments against the NAB and urged his party’s newly elected government to dissolve the Bureau and hold its employees accountable.
“NAB was wrong to believe that it could go scot-free for all its ‘malpractices’. We were always sure of a nexus between Imran Khan and the NAB, and this connection proved true with time.”
Also demanded that an investigation into the extravagant lifestyle and “living beyond means” of all NAB officials should be conducted. PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was “forcefully” taking resignations from his part’s lawmakers in the National Assembly.
The PTI on the day Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister had boycotted the session and announced to resign from the lower house of the parliament en mass, with the party’s vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, saying they would not accept the “installed government”.
But in a press conference alongside PPP and JUI-F leaders, the former speaker said Khan was forcefully asking lawmakers to resign and submitting their resignations to Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.
“In line with the law, every member should appear in person and submit their resignation to the speaker […] there are some conditions and questions that are noted before the acceptance of the resignation,” the MNA said. Sadiq claimed the PTI members were pressurised into signing cyclostyle documents, which included their names and constituency.
“It is clearly stated in the rules that a lawmakers resignation should be handwritten.” Moving on, he said he had personal issues with the PTI chairman as he had beaten him two times in elections.
Sadiq added that after Khan had challenged his election in 2015, he had won and retained the seat in the by-election. “…and the no-confidence motion against Khan was also completed through me,” the ex-speaker, who chaired the session for the voting on the no-confidence motion, said.
