PESHAWAR - The formation of a forward bloc within the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) over resignations issue has now been confirmed as a total of 10 MNAs have not handed over their resignations to the party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, sources told The Nation on Sunday. 
The sources in PTI said on condition of anonymity that the differences emerged in the party ranks over resignation issue, leaving at least 13 lawmakers from the Lower House with no option other than to form a ‘forward bloc” headed by a retired bureaucrat Gulzar Khan, Member National Assembly from NA-4-Peshawar-IV. 
“The formal announcement regarding the formation of ‘forward bloc’ is expected to be disclosed in next two-to-three days,” the sources said, adding the PTI MNAs were not revolting against the party leadership but have adopted a principled stance on the issue of quitting the National Assembly.
The differences widened further when the PTI leadership decided that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s lawmakers would not resign, saying no rigging was taken place in KP as people gave a clear mandate to the party. “Citing the same reason, the MNAs from KP, now members of the ‘forward bloc’ made it clear to the party’s top brass that like the lawmakers of provincial assembly, they have also decided not to resign from the NA,” the sources said.
“The forward bloc is of the view that MNAs from the KP have not been taken on board before taking the decision,” they said, alleging that leaders from Punjab have taken the matters of the party into their hands.
Sources said the party’s core committee was taking all the decisions that had no constitutional power to do so. They said that there was no representation of the KP in the party’s core committee to talk for them.
They said the party’s central executive committee was the right forum but no meeting of the committee was held so far.