In a major setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), its MNA Shakur Shaad has withdrawn his resignation from the National Assembly and challenged it in court.
The PTI had announced on April 9 that 123 of its MNAs had submitted their resignations in protest against the move to remove Imran Khan. His party says it will not return to parliament, although a faction under Raja Riaz still participates in parliamentary proceedings.
Shad, while filing a petition in the Islamabad High Court, said that he had not signed any letter of resignation and had not sent the resignation letter to the Speaker.
He said that he never wrote the resignation letter in his name or mentioned the date.
The petition said the resignations were typed by a computer operator and signed by 123 members. The petitioner said that they were made to sign the resignations in the name of ‘party discipline’ and to express solidarity with Imran Khan and for political purposes.
However, the acceptance of the resignations was a violation of the court decisions, so the notification to suspend the election schedule and declare the seat vacant should be declared null and void.
In the 2018 general elections, Shakur Shad won NA-246 from National Assembly Constituency from Karachi. It includes Lyari and surrounding areas which are considered as PPP’s stronghold.
