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PM urges Fazl to withdraw resolution against PTI MPs

Islamabad - Sharif says move to unseat lawmakers may trigger political crisis.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday asked Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Reman to withdraw resolution seeking to unseat Imran Khan and other lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) for remaining absent from the National Assembly for more than 40 days.
"Such a move is likely to push the country to political crisis and uncertainty which it cannot afford," the premier was quoted as saying by an official of the PM House.
Fazl, however, was adamant saying his party wanted implementation of law. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) which has also sponsored the resolution insists it would ask for putting it to vote.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq deferred voting on the resolution till Tuesday. The prime minister wants to resolve the issue outside the assembly. The resolution is certain to be defeated as no other party including the ruling PML-N and the PPP supports it. Political observers term the resolution as a ploy to embarrass Imran.
However, unfazed by such moves, PTI chief Imran Khan dared the opponents to oust his party from the assembly vowing to return with force in any by-election.
Talking to the media in Lahore, Imran said the PTI did not need anyone's support to stay in parliament as it had won the seats after taking part in the elections. "If the resignations are accepted, the party will contest elections and return to parliament," he said.
He rejected allegations that two former Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chiefs General Shujaa Pasha and General Zahirul Islam had worked to garner political and financial support for his party. He called for setting up an inquiry commission to probe these charges and offered to quit politics if these are proved.
Imran called the constitution of the judicial commission and its eventual decision a success of his party. He praised commission's report asking party supporters and well-wishers to stop slandering the commission and the chief justice of Pakistan on social media.
He said he was initially disappointed by the report but eventually realised that the commission had done a great job by identifying lapses committed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said the ECP officials, responsible for the lapses and mismanagement, must be brought to book.
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