ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has removed five members of the National Assembly from the party for breaching discipline by voting in favour of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, despite clear instructions from the party to oppose it.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan issued an official notification confirming the expulsion of MNAs Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, Zahoor Elahi, Usman Ali, Mubarak Zaib, and Ilyas Chaudhry.
According to the notification, all five lawmakers voted in favour of the amendment on October 21, 2024. This action was deemed a serious violation of party loyalty and their oath, as PTI had reached a unanimous decision to oppose the amendment during internal meetings.
Barrister Gohar stated that show-cause notices had been served to the members for not following party directives, but they failed to respond. The party proceeded with disciplinary action after their silence.
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The notification also recommended that these members be declared disqualified from the National Assembly for switching party loyalty. It stated that their support for another political group made them ineligible to hold their current parliamentary positions.
Talks on suspended PA members end without result
Meanwhile, in Lahore, talks between the opposition and Speaker Punjab Assembly regarding the suspension of 26 lawmakers ended without progress. After the meeting, opposition leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar told the media that discussions were held with Muhammad Ahmad Khan and other government members, but the meeting yielded no results.
He added that another round of talks is expected within the next two to three days. “No one talked about an apology; this is a matter of our party’s stance. We hope for a positive outcome,” he said. He also noted that both sides were involved in the Assembly ruckus and that Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan is reviewing all aspects.
Opposition leaders maintained that the process is still in its early stages and there is no deadlock, with talks ongoing.
On the government’s side, Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that negotiations with the opposition continued under the Speaker’s leadership. While some matters remain unresolved, he said the opposition agreed to many points. “The people of Punjab want the Assembly to function with dignity. We will put an end to the culture of disorder, vandalism, and violence in the House,” he added.
