LAHORE - Three PML-N MPAs yesterday tendered their resignations to the Punjab Assembly speaker over the issue of Khatm-e-Nabuwat.

Sahibzada Ghulam Nizamuddin Sialvi from PP-37, Sargodha, Muhammad Rahmat Ullah from PP-74, Chiniot, and Muhammad Khan Baloch from PP-81, Jhang, sent their resignations to the Punjab Assembly secretary. Under Rule 35 of the Punjab Assembly Rules of Business, the resignations will be presented to Speaker Rana Iqbal Khan on Wednesday (today). In order to ascertain whether they have actually tendered the resignations, the speaker will call the MPAs for personal hearing in due course for which no limit has been set. As such immediate acceptance of the resignation is not in the sight. The sources close to the said MPAs confided to this scribe that they would not appear before the speaker and wanted their resignations to be accepted, while the law requires compulsory appearance before the speaker for any final decision on the resignation of a member.

At the PML-N level, activity has begun to persuade the said MPAs for taking back the resignations. Sources say notice of the resignations has been taken at the top level of the party and senior members of the party are expected to reach out to these disgruntled members soon.

All the three MPAs have recorded almost the same reason for resigning from the Punjab Assembly. They are among the 15 parliamentarians of the PML-N who stand by Pir of Sail Sharif, Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi, on the demand of resignation of Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and public renewal of his faith after he allegedly supported Ahmadis in his televised talks.

After a successful public show in Faisalabad on Sunday, Pir Sialvi is due to hold a convention in Gujranwala to chalk out further line of action in consultation with the pir of Taunsa Sharif, ulema and Mushaikh as no headway has been made on the part of the government on their demand. Besides these MPAs, PML-N MNAs Dr Nisar Jutt and Ghulam Bibi Bharwana had also announced at the Faisalabad rally to quit the parliament on the question of Khatm-e-Nabuwat.

Giving reasons for quitting membership of the Punjab Assembly, Nizamuddin Sialvi, Maualana Rahmat Ullah and Muhammad Khan Baloch said Rana Sana Ullah had allegedly supported Ahmadis in his televised talks on which Muslims across the country are holding protest. “As representatives of the electorate of our respective constituencies, we had demanded resignation of the law minister, but no attention was paid to our demand. Therefore, as Muslims we are tendering their resignations,” they said, addressing the speaker in their resignations.

At least 15 PML-N MNAs and MPAs have handed over their resignations to Pir Sialvi while media reports say this number can increase in due course of time as Pir Sahib is getting support from other areas in the Punjab where strictly religious voters had elected PML-N candidates in the last elections.

It may be mentioned that previously Punjab Minister Zaeem Qadri visited the abode of Pir Sial Sharif last week of November and met him, making promise that his reservations on the issue would be addressed. Later, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif phoned Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi and promised to visit him in a next couple of days and Pir Sahib is still waiting for him.