Zain Qureshi quit on Friday as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf deputy parliamentary leader amid an inquiry into violating party discipline by skipping the National Assembly session earlier this month.
“Based on my belief in a free and transparent inquiry and recognition of the sentiment of our party supporters, I am resigning from my role as deputy parliamentary leader,” he said in a post on X on Saturday.
His response came after the party sent him the show cause notice for not attending the NA session on Monday when the august house passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment. But Imran Khan’s party boycotted the session.
“I do so until and unless I have the confidence and trust of my party and our Founding Chairman, Imran Khan,” he said.
Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s son was one of the 11 parliamentarians who allegedly went missing hours before the National Assembly was expected to meet for the amendment.
Leader of the Opposition in NA Omar Ayub had confirmed that he has been unable to reach such lawmakers.
Zain added that in the “interest of public transparency for all PTI supporters”, he had formally replied to his show-cause notice and provided a comprehensive account.
In reaction to conflicting reports earlier this week, he refuted media reports claiming that he was present in the assembly to vote in favour of the amendment.
“False and baseless propaganda is being spread against me. I completely condemn this and want to assure my constituency and PTI leadership that I would never consider voting in favour of constitutional amendments,” Zain had said in a video statement.
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He challenged anyone to prove that he was even near the National Assembly, asserting, “If anyone can show that I was close to the assembly, I will resign from my position as a member of the National Assembly and leave politics.”
Zain clarified that the purpose of posting the video was to preempt any claims that he recorded it after the voting took place. “I have always adhered to party policy,” he stated.
It is noteworthy that Zain Qureshi has been absent from the public eye for several days, leading to concerns from his sister, Mehr Bano Qureshi, who expressed fears that he may have been abducted due to the lack of contact with him.
