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MQM, JUI-F take back resolutions against PTI

Islamabad: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) withdrew on Thursday their motions seeking to unseat Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) lawmakers.
Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq spoke on behalf of the ruling party and again subjected Imran Khan to jibes and sarcasm calling him and his party members as novices who have to be taught the art of politics and parliamentary norms.
The withdrawal comes after National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq spoke to the heads of both parties requesting them to do so in the light of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's address to the House a day earlier voicing concern that ousting the PTI from the assemblies would push them to take to streets. The premier made it clear that the ruling PML-N would oppose the resolutions if put to vote, a situation he termed as undesirable which he wanted to avoid.
The speaker informed the House that he spoke to MQM chief Altaf Hussain on telephone and also conveyed him the wave of resentment across the country over his anti-army and Rangers statements. Altaf reaffirmed that he had great respect and regard for both the institutions.
JUI's Maulana Fazlur Rehman and MQM's Farooq Sattar in their speeches said that their parties were withdrawing the resolutions in response to the wishes of the top leadership of the two major parties, the PPP and the PML-N and for upholding the larger interests of the country, the supremacy of the parliament and future of democracy. They, however, reiterated that they were not giving up the basic objections under the constitution to the right of PTI lawmakers to retain their seats despite remaining absent from the House for more than 40 days.
PTI's senior leader Shafqat Mahmood said his party would resume seats in the assembly but insisted that the ruling party had acted under compulsion to keep the PTI in the House as it would lose credibility in the absence of a genuine opposition.
Shafqat said the PTI did not need to retain seats as a charity. But the movers of the resolutions were pursuing their own political interests. The MQM had cleverly sought a closure of the national outrage over the statements of Altaf Hussain without any public apology from him.
news@khaleejtimes.com

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