In spite of calls for mass resignations and long march towards Islamabad by the Pakistan Democratic Movement, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair has said that his party will take part in the by-polls to be held in February.

Speaking in a TV show, Zubair said the party has also decided to take part in the Senate polls — a U-turn on the party’s earlier policy of mass resignations. He further said the decision to march on Islamabad will be taken in the light of the by-polls.

It may be noted here that the PML-N has already hinted at a delay in the long march due to the “cold weather”. Its Punjab president Rana Sanaullah said that the much-hyped march will be held in March, instead of Jan or Feb, when the weather will be favourable.

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Separately, the National Assembly speaker has decided to accept the resignations of two PML-N lawmakers, Muhammad Sajjad Awan and Murtaza Javed, prompting protests from the said lawmakers.

According to Awan and Javed, the resignations — dated Dec 14 and written on their official letterhead — were not sent to Speaker Asad Qaiser.

These resignations were sent to the party leadership and it would be their decision if they wanted to forward these letters to the speaker, the lawmakers said, adding that the speaker has no authority to “verify” their resignation letters at this point.

On the other hand, the NA Secretariat said that these resignations would be accepted automatically if the lawmakers failed to appear before the speaker within a week.

Earlier this month, Lahore’s Khokhar brothers of PML-N handed over their resignations from respective assemblies to the party leadership.

MNA Malik Afzal Khokar and MPA Saiful Malook Khokhar had submitted their letters amid talks of mass resignations by opposition lawmakers in a protest against the government.