PTI lawmakers to resign from National Assembly, fight for freedom, says Imran's aide

ISLAMABAD:  All lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party will resign from the National Assembly ahead of the voting to elect a new prime minister, Imran Khan's close aide Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday.

Chaudhry, the former information minister, also said that the PTI has refused to be a part of the so-called election for which the party has nominated ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Committee has decided to resign from the National Assembly. Today, all members of the Assembly are submitting their resignations to the Speaker. We will fight for freedom," Chaudhry tweeted.

Meanwhile, GEO TV quoted sources as saying that Imran Khan has also decided to quit as a member of the National Assembly. "We will not sit in this Assembly under any circumstances," sources privy to the matter quoted Khan as saying.

He said that PTI will not sit in the Assembly with the people who have robbed Pakistan and who have been "imported by foreign forces". "We have made this decision to keep the institutions under pressure who want this government to run the country. We will not let them continue."

However, sources said that most of the party members opposed Khan's decision to tender resignations, and instead, advised that they should face the Opposition strongly at every front. Khan responded, saying "I will resign even if I am left alone."

 Opposition candidate and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are in the race to become the new premier.

The process of electing the new leader of the house began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.