MQM expels Senator Mian Ateeq; PTI issues notice to two senators

KARACHI (92 News) – The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan) has on Monday expelled Senator Mian Ateeq from the party for voting in favor of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) during a recent Senate sitting that passed a key election bill. The ruling PML-N managed to defeat a Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) amendment that put a bar on a disqualified person from becoming the office-bearer of a political party, to the Election Bill, 2017 with a mere one vote in the opposition-dominated Senate. MQM leader Farooq Sattar said that the party chose to suspend the basic membership of the senator for his vote against the party line. The legislation would not have sailed through the Upper House had Ateeq not voted in favor of the ruling party. On the other hand, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also issued show-cause notices to other senators for their absence from the Senate session which passed the key election bill. The notices were given to Senator Brig (R) John Kenneth Willams and Nauman Wazir Khattak and summoned explanation from them in seven days.