PTI files reference against 20 dissident members

Reference under Article 63(A) seeks to de-seat MNAs over floor crossing

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on behalf of party chairman Imran Khan, submitted a reference against 20 dissident members to the National Assembly speaker by that time, Asad Qaiser, aimed at getting the dissident members de-seated.

The reference against the members, filed under Article 63(A), was handed over to the speaker by PTI’s chief whip Amir Dogar. According to the text of the reference, deviant members were elected on PTI’s ticket.

Responding to the move, estranged PTI member Noor Alam Khan told journalists that when a person was sitting in a position of power, they “neither think of God nor the people they are ruling”. Even without the support of the dissident members, the joint opposition had the numbers to oust the prime minister.

Meanwhile, the PTI-led government filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s decision to restore the National Assembly and block NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling to dismiss the voting on the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.

The apex court’s five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, had issued the ruling.

The top court had ordered the National Assembly speaker to summon the session yesterday (Saturday) no later than 10:30am to allow the vote on the no-confidence motion against the premier.

PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar, Babar Awan and advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique had filed the petition, urging the top court to revoke its April 7 decision.

“The Supreme Court cannot dictate the timetable to the National Assembly under Article 69,” the petition said.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court fixed the presidential reference regarding lifetime disqualification of deviant MNAs for hearing for April 12.

The reference was filed by President Arif Alvi after many of the PTI MNAs decided to vote in favour of a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.