Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said his party would not contest the by-elections on the 35 National Assembly seats that fell vacant as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified the lawmakers after Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted their resignation.
As power politics continues between the ruling and the opposition parties in the country, the NA speaker accepted the resignations of 34 members of the lower house of parliament belonging to the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s, a close aide of Khan, resignation was also approved by the speaker.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Sanaullah asked who would contest elections for a span of “only two or three months”. He reiterated that the government would complete its constitutional term that would end in August 2023. The minister said that the speaker took the decision as the PTI lawmakers did not appear before him in person despite being invited multiple times for verification of their resignations.
On a query, the minister said that postponement of by-elections in Punjab was not out of the question but they should prepare for the polls.
Reacting to the development, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazl Ur Rehman said that the ruling alliance would not contest by-polls on the vacant seats. Reasons for not contesting the election will also be unveiled soon, he added.
The statements came as Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified 35 more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of the National Assembly (MNAs) following the acceptance of their resignations by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
According to an ECP notification, 33 general and two reserved seats of the National Assembly were now deemed vacant. “Consequent upon the acceptance of resignations by the Hon’ble Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan and in pursuance of the Notification No F.21 (4)/2022- lagis dated 17th January, 2023 of National Assembly of Pakistan. the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby de-notifies the following Members of National Assembly of Pakistan with immediate effect,” the notification read
The de-notified MNAs include Murad Saeed, NA 04; Omer Ayub Khan, NA 17; Asad Qaiser, NA 18; Pervaiz Khattak, NA 25; Imran Khattak, NA 26; Sheharyar Afridi, NA 32; Ali Amin Khan, NA 38; Noor ul Haq Qadri, NA 43; Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, NA 52; Ali Nawaz Awan, NA 53; Asad Umer, NA 54; Sadaqat Ali Khan, NA 57; Ghulam Sardar Khan, NA 59; Sheikh Rashid Shafique, NA 60; Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, NA 62; Mansoor Hayat Khan, NA 63; Fawad Ahmed, NA 67; M Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, NA 97; Muhammad Hammad Azhar, NA 126; Shafqat Mehmood Khan, NA 130; Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, NA 155; Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Hussain Qureshi, NA 156; Zartaj Gul,NA 191; Faheem Khan, NA 241; Saif ur Rehman, NA 242; Muhammad Alamgir Khan, NA 243; Syed Ali Haider, NA 244; Aftab Hussain Shafique, NA 247; Attaullah, NA 250; Aftab Jehangir, NA 252; Muhammad Aslam Khan, NA 254; Muhammad Najeeb Haroon, NA 256 and Muhammad Qasim Khan Suri, NA 265. Aliya Hamza Malik and Kanwal Shauzab, who were elected as PTI MNAs on reserved seats for women from Punjab, were also denotified.
