Members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have started resigning from the National Assembly.
Pakistan's science and technology minister Fawad Hussain tweeted, ''Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Committee has decided to resign from the National Assembly. Today, all members of the Assembly are submitting their resignations to the Speaker. We will fight for freedom''
Meanwhile, former PM Imran Khan asked Pakistani citizens not to choose opposition leader Shehbaaz Sharif as their next leader as he is an ''extremely corrupt'' man.
"The man who has 16 billion and 8 billion rupees of corruption cases, whoever selects and elects the Prime Minister cannot be a bigger insult to the country. We are resigning from the National Assembly," former PM Imran Khan said.
جس آدمی پر 16 ارب اور 8 ارب روپے کے کرپشن کیسز ہیں،اسے جو بھی وزیراعظم سلیکٹ اور الیکٹ کرتا ہے اس سے بڑی ملک کی توہین نہیں ہو سکتی۔ہم قومی اسمبلی سے استعفے دے رہے ہیں، عمران خان#امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/hzQf7y1fDe — PTI (@PTIofficial) April 11, 2022
Shafqat Mahmood, PTI Member of National Assembly from Lahore has already resigned. He made the announcement on Twitter.
''As per decision of the party I have today resigned as a member of the National Assembly. By sitting in the assembly I refuse to legitimise the conspiratorial accession to power of these looters and plunderers.''
As per decision of the party I have today resigned as a member of the National Assembly. By sitting in the assembly I refuse to legitimise the conspiratorial accession to power of these looters and plunderers pic.twitter.com/lziN7QETmW — Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 11, 2022
Pakistan's parliament is set to meet on Monday to elect a new prime minister.
After a week-long constitutional crisis that climaxed on Sunday when Imran Khan lost a no-confidence vote, Shehbaz Sharif is the favourite to win.
The 70-year-old was the chief minister of Pakistan thrice. He is also the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz said, "We don't believe in revenge. We will account for everything. The cargo train that used to ply till Bani Gala will be accounted."
"And if anybody comes in the way of Pakistan's development, they will be tackled," she said.
Political analyst Talat Masood told AFP, "From what he (Imran) has been saying, he seems to want to... pursue a kind of a policy of trying to sort of rebel rather (than) make things better for the country and society."
(With inputs from agencies)