Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers have announced their resignations from all parliamentary standing committees of the National Assembly, including the powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC), triggering a major shake-up in opposition representation.
PTI resignations begin implementation
According to the National Assembly Secretariat, PTI members are officially present in parliament under the banner of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Following the decision of PTI’s political committee, SIC lawmakers began submitting resignations late on Wednesday.
In total, the SIC stands to lose the chairmanship of seven National Assembly standing committees and the Public Accounts Committee, making it one of the largest coordinated withdrawals by the opposition in recent years.
Who has resigned so far?
Resignations from two standing committee chairmen — Faisal Amin Gandapur and Ali Asghar Khan — have already been submitted directly to the speaker of the National Assembly. Meanwhile, other chairmen, including PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar Khan, sent their resignations to PTI Chief Whip Aamir Dogar.
Junaid Akbar, who also resigned from the Energy Committee, clarified that his decision was voluntary and not made under pressure.
“If my resignation is accepted, I will not remain the chairman of PAC. I don’t earn from posts or politics — those who fight for positions are the ones troubled by such matters,” he told Samaa TV in an interview.
Committees affected
The committees now without PTI-backed leadership include:
-
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – Junaid Akbar Khan
-
Economic Affairs – Atif Khan
-
Science and Technology – Khawaja Shiraz Mahmood
-
Inter-Provincial Coordination – Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel
-
Education – Azimuddin
-
Defence Production – Javed Iqbal
-
Religious Affairs – Aamir Dogar
-
Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs – Imtiaz Chaudhry
Speaker yet to receive formal resignations
A spokesperson for the National Assembly Secretariat confirmed that Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has not yet received any resignation letters from committee chairmen. Official procedure requires the speaker or secretary of the assembly to call members individually and verify their resignations before accepting them.
Mixed reactions and criticism
Not all PTI-affiliated lawmakers agree on the method of resignation submission. Some expressed concern over sending resignations to the chief whip instead of the Speaker, calling it a tactic to delay the process.
Meanwhile, political opponents criticized the move. Ijazul Haq, leader of the Muslim League-Zia, termed it an “emotional decision,” saying: “If they back out from parliament’s proceedings, it will hurt their own cause. Parliament will not be affected — new committees and chairmen will be formed.”
