Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat, ‎chairman of the Egyptian parliament's human rights committee, resigned on Tuesday shortly after parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al disclosed ‎that a closed-door meeting would be held to ‎discuss a complaint filed by an MP against parliament with "an ‎international organisation."

"This complaint was filed ‎by a high-profile MP and it was written in English," ‎said Abdel-Al, adding that "this is a dangerous ‎development and that I will not let it pass easily."‎

Abdel-Al declined to disclose the identity of the MP in question, though he said that "this is not the first ‎time for this MP to file complaints against Egypt’s ‎parliament; he has done this several times before ‎to tarnish the image of his country." ‎

Abdel-Al insisted that "the name of the MP who ‎filed the complaint against parliament will be revealed in a closed-door plenary session."‎

Speculation is rife that it was El-Sadat who filed the complaint cited by Abdel-Aal.

El-Sadat has extensive connections with international ‎organisations like Human Rights Watch and with ‎foreign diplomats in Cairo, especially those affiliated ‎with the US and British embassies. ‎

In a statement to reporters, El-Sadat said he is resigning "because of lack of cooperation from ‎parliament's speaker, secretariat-general, and the ‎government in responding to requests ‎and memorandums submitted by the [human rights] committee ‎aimed at addressing complaints raised by citizens about ‎injustices done to them."

El-Sadat's statement added ‎that his resignation is also due to parliament's refusal to communicate with the outside world in ‎terms of implementing Egypt's international ‎commitments and defending its image abroad."‎

El-Sadat complained last month that Abdel-Al's loyalty ‎to the government and the regime of President ‎Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi came at the expense of ‎parliament exercising its supervisory powers, ‎especially in the area of human rights.

He triggered ‎the anger of Abdel-Al when he decided to attend an ‎international conference on human rights in Geneva ‎early this month without getting his approval.‎