Islamabad, August 27, 2025: Lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have started resigning from parliamentary standing committees on the instructions of the party’s founder, Imran Khan, in what appears to be part of a broader political strategy that also includes boycotting upcoming by-elections.
MNAs Ali Asghar, Sajid Khan, Shahid Khattak, Faisal Amin Khan, and Asif Khan have all stepped down from various committees of the National Assembly. Ali Asghar resigned from the Cabinet, Privatization, and Planning committees. Sajid Khan quit the Overseas Pakistanis, National Heritage, and Kashmir-related committees, declaring he was ready to vacate his assembly seat if directed by Imran Khan. Faisal Amin Khan, brother of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, withdrew from the Economic Affairs, Food Security, and Parliamentary Task Force committees. Shahid Khattak announced his resignation from all standing committees while Asif Khan left the Education, National Heritage, Culture, and Information and Broadcasting committees.
Separately, Junaid Akbar stepped down as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, submitting his resignation to PTI’s chief whip, Amir Dogar, in line with the party’s political committee decision. Party sources confirmed that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has received the resignations of Faisal and Ali.
PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram has also quit all National Assembly committees, forwarding his resignation to Speaker Sadiq.
Meanwhile, sources said Imran Khan has instructed PTI representatives to resign from the Judicial Commission, terming the party’s role in it ineffective. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Senator Ali Zafar are currently members, though Barrister Gohar has denied stepping down so far.
The move echoes PTI’s earlier protest in 2023, when it dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies against the then PDM-led federal government.
The party has also announced it will boycott upcoming by-elections in constituencies left vacant by lawmakers disqualified in the May 9 cases, declaring those individuals its “true representatives.” The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recently de-seated several PTI members after their convictions linked to the May 9 riots.
In contrast, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have announced they will jointly contest the by-polls across the country.
