National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf met PTI’s lawmakers and told them that their resignations could not be accepted en masse on Thursday.

The speaker said that he needed to verify resignations individually so he could make sure that each member was acting of their own free will and not under party pressure.

The statement came from a meeting between a PTI delegation and the speaker in the speaker’s chambers. The delegation included Amir Dogar, Qasim Suri and others.

Ashraf reportedly told the delegation that he had been approached by some PTI members who said that they were told to resign by the party. He also questioned why a PTI leader from Karachi had appproached the court against acceptance of resignations.

PTI has maintained that since all members announced their resignations on the floor of the house, there is no need fo rindividual verification. The party also says that the resignations had been accepted by the previous speaker.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf does not agree that the previous speaker’s acceptance of resignations amounts to anything, and all resignations must still be verified.

Reports of backdoor offers to PTI by PDM have also emerged, with the government reportedly asking the party to rejoin the assembly and participate in legislation.

Sources also say that the speaker is set to leave the country tomorrow (Friday) so the matter of resignations being accepted is likely to be delayed.