- MPAs want to put pressure on government by sending resignations
LAHORE: The issue of the resignations of three Member Provincial Assemblies (MPAs) hailing from ruling party of Punjab may further linger on for an indefinite time despite the fact that the assembly secretariat has received the resignations of these parliamentarians on Tuesday, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to details, Muhammad Khan from Jhang (PP-81), Sahibzada Ghulam Nizamuddin Sialvi from Sargodha (PP-37) and Maulana Rehmatullah from Jhang (PP-74) have sent their resignations on Tuesday to the assembly secretariat through their representatives instead of appearing themselves. This leads to speculations that these MPAs actually do not want to resign from the assembly and they only want to build pressure on the government by simply sending their resignations.
Pir Nizamuddin Sialvi
Muhammad Khan
Maulana Rehmatullah
There is no binding on the speaker of the assembly to accept these resignations in any given time frame as it is completely his prerogative to verify the resignations of any MPA. He may also call the concerned MPA in person for the purpose of verification of the resignation, according to the Rules of Procedure.
The resignations that were submitted in the assembly secretariat, and are available with Pakistan Today, underscored that Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah adopted a controversial stance on the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (finality of the Prophethood) issue, which perturbed the religious sentiments of the Muslim community. Therefore, they gave their resignations as a protest since the government has failed to take any action against the minister.
Pakistan Today has learnt reliably through sources that neither these MPAs nor the government wants these resignations to be accepted as the MPAs just want to put pressure on the government through their resignations. The government on the other hand also wants to resolve the matter amicably without accepting the resignations as the general elections are also inching closer and the government does not want to lose any of its MPAs as these political personalities have huge sway in their respective constituencies.
It is worth mentioning here that clause 35 (a) of the Rules of Procedure of Punjab Assembly states that a member hands over the letter of resignation to the speaker personally and informs him that the resignation is voluntary and genuine. Moreover, clause 35 (b) of the Rules of Procedure authorizes the speaker to verify himself, or through assembly secretariat, that the resignation is voluntary and genuine if it is sent through any other mean other than personal appearance.
Meanwhile, both the MPAs Maulana Rehmatullah and Nizamuddin Sialvi told Pakistan Today that they will appear in front of speaker after getting intimation from his office soon. “I was not feeling well, therefore preferred to send my resignation through someone else,” Maulana Rehmatullah said. Furthermore, Nizamuddin Sialvi, nephew of Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi, said that he was ready to appear in front of the speaker to present his resignation himself but came to know through assembly secretariat that he was not available in his chamber.
“It was only a trailer as more resignations would appear in days to come because we have decided to give resignations in instalments,” Nizamuddin Sialvi said while revealing his plan.
On Sunday, December 10, three MPAs and two PML-N Member National Assembly (MNAs) rested their political future with Pir Khawaja Hameeduddin Sialvi at the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (PBUH) Conference at Faisalabad’s Dhobi Ghat.
Dr Nisar Ahmad Jutt and Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, alongside the MPAs who have submitted their resignation in the secretariat, announced their resignations protesting government inaction against their demand for the resignation of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Presenting their resignations to Pir Sialvi, the lawmakers said they will not even hesitate in laying their lives for the noble cause.
“We demand immediate resignations of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah,” they unanimously announced, adding that several other members of assemblies are ready to join them if the demands are not met.
Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi, a former senator, had claimed that at least 15 parliamentarians associated with shrine would tender their resignations at the public meeting in Faisalabad.
