Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram is at risk of losing his National Assembly seat due to prolonged absence without formal approval.
During a session, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq warned that Sheikh Waqas had remained absent for 40 consecutive days without sanctioned leave, a violation that could result in his seat being declared vacant under assembly rules.
PTI’s Malik Aamir Dogar objected, alleging political targeting and pointing out that there’s no precedent of disqualification solely over absence. He maintained that Sheikh Waqas had submitted leave applications.
Speaker Sadiq, however, cited the example of former MNA Muhammad Mian Soomro, who lost his seat over extended absenteeism. Following this, PML-N’s Nosheen Iftikhar moved a motion to revoke Sheikh Waqas’s membership, which was referred by the Deputy Speaker for action under assembly procedures.
In his defense, Sheikh Waqas insisted that he had regularly filed leave requests, asking, “The Speaker is the custodian of the House. My applications are in his office—where have they gone?”
