The coalition government at Centre has decided to initiate the second phase of the acceptance of the resignations of PTI Members of National Assembly (MNAs) during current week, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Sources divulged on Monday that National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf will decide about the acceptance of further resignations of the PTI MNAs after holding consultation with legal and constitutional experts and members of allied parties. 

There is likelihood that the speaker would accept another 11 resignations of the PTI lawmakers. 

Sources are of the view that resignations of parliamentarians belonging to South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be accepted. 

The government is planning to accept resignations of MNAs belonging to Malakand, Layyah and other areas. 

Sources reveal that resignations of some female lawmakers, who were elected on reserved seats, will also be accepted. 

However, the government has not yet accepted resignations of PTI leaders including Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Murad Saeed. 

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had recently accepted resignations of 11 PTI MNAs on last Thursday.

The resignations of 11 PTI MNAs including Shireen Mazari, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ijaz Shah, Farrukh Habib, Shandana Gulzar, Fazal Muhammad, Fakhar Zaman, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Jameel Ahmed and Akram Cheema were approved in the first phase.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf went to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to file a petition against the acceptance of only 11 resignations of the PTI MNAs by the National Assembly (NA) speaker.

PTI leader Asad Umar said that the NA speaker had no right to not accept other resignations. He stated that as many as 125 MNAs of the PTI had resigned from the National Assembly.

“The number hit 131 after six more MNAs submitted their resignations,” he added.

He alleged that the NA speaker accepted 11 resignations of his choice which, what he stated, was illegal.

Reporter: Usman Khan