PTI lawmakers resign from National Assembly standing committees

Islamabad, Aug 27 (PTI) After deciding to boycott the upcoming by-election for national and provincial assemblies, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf announced to resign from all standing committees in the National Assembly, a senior party leader said on Wednesday.

Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, a PTI lawmaker and leader, said in a video announcement that the decision was taken by the party on Khan's instructions.

“PTI has resigned from the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) and other committees,” he said in a video before the Public Accounts Committee meeting.

PAC chairman Junaid Akbar, also a PTI member, said he would not stay as chairman after Khan had ordered his resignation.

“There is no use in remaining in the standing committees if there is no momentum towards further relief for Imran or his release,” he told the media.

Later, Akbar stayed away from the PAC on Wednesday, and Naveed Qamar, a lawmaker from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), chaired the meeting.

Earlier, the PTI decided to boycott the upcoming by-elections for national and provincial assemblies, in line with the opinion of its incarcerated leader Khan.

The decision was taken by the party’s political committee, which met to consider Khan’s input following a meeting on Tuesday with his legal team at Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail, where the PTI supremo is jailed, reported the Dawn newspaper.

Earlier in the day, Khan’s message was relayed to the media by his sister, Aleema Khan, who also met the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician in prison.

She was flanked by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja — whose resignation was reportedly turned down by Khan.

Denying reports of a bitter exchange with Raja, Aleema said the lawyer was “like family” to them. She said her brother had asked the party’s political committee to hold another meeting on the by-election issue based on his instructions, and report back to him.

Later on Tuesday night, PTI lawmaker Amir Dogar confirmed that the political committee had endorsed Khan’s opinion on not contesting by-elections, adding that party lawmakers would also start quitting parliamentary bodies soon.

Talking about nominations to appoint new opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, Salman Akram Raja said that for them, Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz were still the opposition leaders, adding that they were still contesting their cases and would fulfil all legal requirements.

Their seats fell vacant after the two PTI leaders were convicted late last month in a case related to the May 9, 2023 violence.

“If there is a need after that, then the name that Imran has repeated today for the NA opposition leader is that of Mehmood Khan Achakzai,” he said.

Raja explained that Khan gave “clear directions” about participating in the by-polls after listening to all those allowed to meet him today, including his sisters.

A day earlier, the party’s political committee had voted 12-9 to take part in the by-elections. Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram had even posted on X that candidates would be given Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) tickets to avoid the chances of their being declared ‘independents’.

According to insiders, Sheikh Waqqas Akram, Salman Akram Raja, SIC leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Arif Alvi, Sajjad Burki, ex-chief minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit Baltistan region Khalid Khursheed and some others were against the decision to take part in by-polls, while those in favour included Aliya Hamza, Sanaullah Mastikhel, Aamir Dogar, Farhat Abbas and others.

Talking to Dawn, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser confirmed that in Khan’s opinion, the party should not go into by-elections, and that its lawmakers should leave all parliamentary standing committees, including the PAC.

“Parliament has already been made a rubber stamp, as the voice of the opposition members has been suppressed by not telecasting their remarks on the floor of the house. Secondly, after the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment, courts have come under immense pressure,” he added.

Qaiser said that the jailed PTI founder had given his opinion, and asked the party’s political committee to review its decision.

“Imran Khan was of the view that the government will not let the PTI candidate win by-elections… [and] if [we] take part in the elections, it will legitimise the government’s illegal action of de-seating PTI legislators,” he said. He, however, said the PTI will continue its street protests and continue to approach the courts to seek justice.

When contacted, Mustafa Nawaz Khaokhar – who is part of the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan opposition alliance alongside the PTI – said there seemed to be two opinions in the party regarding by-elections, one suggesting that it should not legitimise the de-seating of its lawmakers, while the other was opposed to ceding political space.

He agreed that this was causing a rift in the PTI’s ranks, which had created disappointment in the party workers.

Commenting on the situation, political analyst Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said it was unfortunate that Khan reversed the decision taken by the party’s political committee to contest by-elections.

The PTI is more of a ‘one-man show’ than any other political party, he said.

Last week, Pakistan’s two major political parties in the current ruling dispensation — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP — announced to jointly contest the upcoming by-elections.

As per the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the by-elections will be held on September 18 for the NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, and PP-87 Mianwali-III constituencies.

It would be followed by elections in NA-143 Sahiwal-lll, NA-185, DG Khan-ll, PP-203 Sahiwal-Vl, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, and PP-98 Faisalabad-l on October 5, the ECP said. PTI SH GSP GRS GRS GRS