Dr Mohan Manjiani, a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) National Assembly (MNA), who was elected with a minority seat in the February 8 general elections, has resigned from his post, reported ExpressNews.
Dr Manjiani’s resignation comes after consultations with senior leaders of his party. Sources confirmed that the MP submitted his resignation directly to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
Mohan Manjiani was elected as a member of the National Assembly on a minority seat reserved for the 2024 general elections, representing the MQM-P.
Earlier in March this year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) canceled Manjiani’s notice following his resignation, citing “personal reasons” for not retaining his seat.
However, hours after the ECP’s decision, Dr Manjiani appeared on a private news channel to deny his resignation, calling it “staged and organized” by the MQM-P. He declined to provide further details or specifically substantiate his claim.
Dr Manjiani, who was elected to the National Assembly with a minority seat in the February 8 general elections, insisted that the resignation document filed with the ECP was not signed by him. He went on to allege that the signature on the document was forged and that he had no involvement in the resignation process.
He said he would no longer be in touch with the MQM-P over the matter and was currently in Dubai, where he plans to take his case to the election tribunal.
The controversy surrounding his resignation follows rumors circulating on social media, claiming that Dr Manjiani’s place for the seat reserved for the minority was linked to a “donation” to the MQM-P. However, a dispute reportedly broke out between Dr Manjiani and the party, which caused the deal to collapse.
In response to these allegations, the MQM-P coordination committee issued a statement clarifying that Dr Manjiani was asked to resign based on reports from intelligence agencies. The party alleged that Manjiani’s resignation was requested due to his involvement in “illegal and anti-state activities.”