LAHORE: Although around 25 National Assembly members are known to have resigned from Pakistans Lower House of Parliament owing to multiple reasons during the last seven years or so, just half a dozen of these legislators have gone on to vacate their seats on principles.
With her resignation on Wednesday, Marvi Memon of PML-Q now finds a place among the handful of Pakistani politicians in countrys recent parliamentary history, who promptly responded to the small subtle voices of conscience by giving up their House seats. On March 9, 2004, Zafar Iqbal Warraich of the Pakistan Peoples Party had set up a new tradition in the countrys parliamentary history, when he had decided to resign from his NA-196 Rahimyar Khan seat and contest again on a PML-Q ticket.
Zafar Iqbal, who had been associated with the Peoples Party for nearly two decades, had decided to part ways with his parent political entity in strong protest to what he called the hijacking of party by Qabza mafia.
Addressing a press conference at the Parliament House after his move, Zafar Iqbal had vehemently accused the PPP of backing out of its very objectives and principles. With Warraichs resignation, cracks within the PPP had then become evident to all. Though a good number of political analysts had termed Zafar Iqbals decision a tactical defection, there were a few vocal voices that had dubbed it a purely principled stance. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, Chairman Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), had tendered his resignation on October 15, 2004 as a mark of remonstration against the passage of the dual-office bill that had given legitimacy to the then President General Musharraf to continue as countrys Army Chief beyond December 31, 2004.
Soon after giving up his National Assembly membership, Dr Qadri had viewed, When Musharraf took over, we supported his seven-point agenda, but the president failed to carry out across-the-board accountability and transfer power to the elected representatives after elections. Musharraf is controlling everything while parliament is a rubber stamp. I dont feel that I should sit in such a powerless parliament which can be suspended with a single stroke of a generals pen.
Dr Qadri was also quoted as saying; I hereby resign from my National Assembly seat, NA-127, under the illegal rule of the uniform. I feel insulted to sit in a house which passed a bill to perpetuate the rule of a dictator.
On September 6, 2006, Abdul Rauf Mengal, a member of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal Group) gave up his Khuzdar seat (NA-269) to protest the killing of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Nawab Akbar Bugti in the Kohlu military operation. In his resignation, which Mengal had handed over to the Assembly secretary after an angry speech on the floor of the house, the MNA had protested against the August 26, 2006 killing of Akbar Bugti and his disgraceful burial.
Yet another MNA, Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rashid Abbasi, resigned from his National Assembly (NA-44 Tribal Area IX) seat on November 14, 2006. By doing so, the MMA leader had basically registered his protest against the October 30, 2006 air strike on a Bajaur Madrasah in which over 80 students and teachers were killed.
On July 23, 2007, the then Jamaat-e-Islami Chief and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, became the first parliamentary party leader to resign from the 2002-2007 graduate National Assembly.
Meanwhile, as many as five MQM National Assembly members (including a minister) had to resign from their seats on the directives of their party chief Altaf Hussain. The then Minister of State for Religious Affairs, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Resgin due to conflict over Salman Rushdie Issue and he leave his office on July 4, 2007 due to his bold stance against his version over statement against Salman Rushdie.
Earlier, the MQMs Coordination Committee had sent four of its MNAs packing, as they were unable to give sufficient time to their constituencies. These MQM lawmakers were Messrs Sarkar-ud-Din (NA-240), Sultan Ahmed Khan (NA-243) and Azizullah Brohi (NA-246), who had submitted their resignations on March 15, 2004 and Ms Shamim Akhtar (NA-317 Women Sindh), who was asked to call it a day on February 22, 2007.
Within its rank and file, the then ruling PML-Q too had a few obedient lawmakers, who had immediately responded to the call of their leadership and promptly did what was required of them.
Ms Eman Wasim, the daughter of the then Attock District Nazim Tahir Sadiq and niece of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, had to vacate her seat (NA-59 Attock) for the election of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Similarly, Arbab Zakaullah was the other MNA who had to quit his NA-229 Tharparkar seat for the election of Shaukat Aziz. After Shaukat Aziz had decided to retain his Attock seat, the extremely compliant Arbab Zakaullah had again found a place in the National Assembly by winning the by-election. However, over a dozen MNAs from various political parties had surrendered their National Assembly memberships during these last seven years to become District Nazims. Just to cite a few examples, Abdul Qayyum Jatoi of the PPP had resigned from his NA-180 seat to become the district Nazim of Muzaffargarh,
Sardar Salim Jan Mazari of the PML-Q also quit his NA-210 seat to become district Nazim of Jacobabad.The then PPP President of Bahawalpur Division and MNA Mumtaz Ahmad Matiana, had resigned from his seat and joined the ruling PML-Q to become the district Nazim of his area. Messrs Jalil Sharaqpuri and Inamul Haq Piracha were among the other MNAs in the 2002-07 National Assembly, who had preferred to become District Nazims of their respective hometowns over their House memberships. The above-mentioned list does not, of course, include the names of those disgraceful MNAs who were ordered to resign (mostly by court) on charges of holding fake educational degrees and their involvement in other shameful corruption scandals
With her resignation on Wednesday, Marvi Memon of PML-Q now finds a place among the handful of Pakistani politicians in countrys recent parliamentary history, who promptly responded to the small subtle voices of conscience by giving up their House seats. On March 9, 2004, Zafar Iqbal Warraich of the Pakistan Peoples Party had set up a new tradition in the countrys parliamentary history, when he had decided to resign from his NA-196 Rahimyar Khan seat and contest again on a PML-Q ticket.
Zafar Iqbal, who had been associated with the Peoples Party for nearly two decades, had decided to part ways with his parent political entity in strong protest to what he called the hijacking of party by Qabza mafia.
Addressing a press conference at the Parliament House after his move, Zafar Iqbal had vehemently accused the PPP of backing out of its very objectives and principles. With Warraichs resignation, cracks within the PPP had then become evident to all. Though a good number of political analysts had termed Zafar Iqbals decision a tactical defection, there were a few vocal voices that had dubbed it a purely principled stance. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, Chairman Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), had tendered his resignation on October 15, 2004 as a mark of remonstration against the passage of the dual-office bill that had given legitimacy to the then President General Musharraf to continue as countrys Army Chief beyond December 31, 2004.
Soon after giving up his National Assembly membership, Dr Qadri had viewed, When Musharraf took over, we supported his seven-point agenda, but the president failed to carry out across-the-board accountability and transfer power to the elected representatives after elections. Musharraf is controlling everything while parliament is a rubber stamp. I dont feel that I should sit in such a powerless parliament which can be suspended with a single stroke of a generals pen.
Dr Qadri was also quoted as saying; I hereby resign from my National Assembly seat, NA-127, under the illegal rule of the uniform. I feel insulted to sit in a house which passed a bill to perpetuate the rule of a dictator.
On September 6, 2006, Abdul Rauf Mengal, a member of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal Group) gave up his Khuzdar seat (NA-269) to protest the killing of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Nawab Akbar Bugti in the Kohlu military operation. In his resignation, which Mengal had handed over to the Assembly secretary after an angry speech on the floor of the house, the MNA had protested against the August 26, 2006 killing of Akbar Bugti and his disgraceful burial.
Yet another MNA, Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rashid Abbasi, resigned from his National Assembly (NA-44 Tribal Area IX) seat on November 14, 2006. By doing so, the MMA leader had basically registered his protest against the October 30, 2006 air strike on a Bajaur Madrasah in which over 80 students and teachers were killed.
On July 23, 2007, the then Jamaat-e-Islami Chief and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, became the first parliamentary party leader to resign from the 2002-2007 graduate National Assembly.
Meanwhile, as many as five MQM National Assembly members (including a minister) had to resign from their seats on the directives of their party chief Altaf Hussain. The then Minister of State for Religious Affairs, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Resgin due to conflict over Salman Rushdie Issue and he leave his office on July 4, 2007 due to his bold stance against his version over statement against Salman Rushdie.
Earlier, the MQMs Coordination Committee had sent four of its MNAs packing, as they were unable to give sufficient time to their constituencies. These MQM lawmakers were Messrs Sarkar-ud-Din (NA-240), Sultan Ahmed Khan (NA-243) and Azizullah Brohi (NA-246), who had submitted their resignations on March 15, 2004 and Ms Shamim Akhtar (NA-317 Women Sindh), who was asked to call it a day on February 22, 2007.
Within its rank and file, the then ruling PML-Q too had a few obedient lawmakers, who had immediately responded to the call of their leadership and promptly did what was required of them.
Ms Eman Wasim, the daughter of the then Attock District Nazim Tahir Sadiq and niece of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, had to vacate her seat (NA-59 Attock) for the election of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Similarly, Arbab Zakaullah was the other MNA who had to quit his NA-229 Tharparkar seat for the election of Shaukat Aziz. After Shaukat Aziz had decided to retain his Attock seat, the extremely compliant Arbab Zakaullah had again found a place in the National Assembly by winning the by-election. However, over a dozen MNAs from various political parties had surrendered their National Assembly memberships during these last seven years to become District Nazims. Just to cite a few examples, Abdul Qayyum Jatoi of the PPP had resigned from his NA-180 seat to become the district Nazim of Muzaffargarh,
Sardar Salim Jan Mazari of the PML-Q also quit his NA-210 seat to become district Nazim of Jacobabad.The then PPP President of Bahawalpur Division and MNA Mumtaz Ahmad Matiana, had resigned from his seat and joined the ruling PML-Q to become the district Nazim of his area. Messrs Jalil Sharaqpuri and Inamul Haq Piracha were among the other MNAs in the 2002-07 National Assembly, who had preferred to become District Nazims of their respective hometowns over their House memberships. The above-mentioned list does not, of course, include the names of those disgraceful MNAs who were ordered to resign (mostly by court) on charges of holding fake educational degrees and their involvement in other shameful corruption scandals
