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PTI’s Sheikh Waqas Akram Faces Membership Termination Over Prolonged Absence
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq warns PTI MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram of losing his seat over 40-day absence. PML-N’s motion to disqualify him moves forward; Waqas claims he filed leave requests.
ND
by News Desk
2025-08-05
PTI’s Sheikh Waqas Akram Faces Membership Termination Over Prolonged Absence

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of National Assembly (MNA) Sheikh Waqas Akram is facing the possible termination of his parliamentary membership due to continuous absence from the National Assembly without formally approved leave.

During Tuesday’s National Assembly session, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq issued a stern warning to Sheikh Waqas, citing his 40-day absence from the House without sanctioned leave. The Speaker said he has the constitutional authority to declare the seat vacant under parliamentary rules if a member remains absent without permission.

“Sheikh Waqas has been absent for 40 days and has not sought leave as per the required procedure. The Speaker is empowered to take action in such cases,” said Ayaz Sadiq.

PTI’s Chief Whip Aamir Dogar came to Akram's defense, arguing that the party is being targeted unfairly. “We are being blocked at every level. Give us one example where a seat was vacated just over leave. Sheikh Waqas has submitted leave requests regularly to the Speaker’s office,” Dogar asserted.

In response, the Speaker cited a historical precedent, stating that former MNA Muhammad Mian Soomro lost his seat due to prolonged absence from the Assembly in the previous term.

The matter escalated when PML-N MNA Nosheen Iftikhar formally moved a motion to terminate Sheikh Waqas Akram’s membership. The Deputy Speaker then instructed the concerned department to initiate action in accordance with the National Assembly rules.

Reacting to the proceedings, Sheikh Waqas Akram maintained that he had submitted leave applications for every absence. “I have always sent my leave requests to the Speaker’s Office. The Speaker is the custodian of the House — he should tell me where my requests are,” Akram said.

The development has stirred controversy within political circles, with PTI alleging institutional bias and procedural irregularities in how the matter is being handled. Legal and parliamentary experts say the issue now hinges on whether documented evidence of Sheikh Waqas’s leave applications exists in the Assembly’s record.

If the Speaker proceeds to declare the seat vacant, it could lead to a by-election and further deepen the rift between the opposition and the ruling coalition in an already tense parliamentary environment.

 
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