close
Tuesday March 19, 2024

Horse-trading likely to hit PTI, PML-N

ISLAMABAD: The PTI and PML-N are expected to be the most likely victims of politics of money and corruption in the Senate election being held today.It is feared the PTI may lose two Senate seats in the KP, while a similar surprise is expected for the PML-N in Balochistan.According to

By our correspondents
March 05, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The PTI and PML-N are expected to be the most likely victims of politics of money and corruption in the Senate election being held today.It is feared the PTI may lose two Senate seats in the KP, while a similar surprise is expected for the PML-N in Balochistan.
According to some, the PML-N may also be able to get its senator elected from the KP Assembly, which is mainly the focus of worst form of naked horse-trading.Generally, it is believed that the PTI MPs in the KP Assembly and PML-N MPs in Balochistan Assembly are the real focus of those eager to get elected by the power of money.
Despite such a loss in the Upper House, in the public perception the PTI is bound to gain — in particular for not only being the victim of money and corruption in politics but also for raising hue and cry against this immoral, unethical and illegal foul play in the Senate election.
The PML-N will also have the advantage of not getting into this filth. However, the PPP and JUI-F are the two political parties which would be discredited for stalling the 22nd Amendment that was considered to bring an end to corruption in the Senate election.
Following the PTI’s hue and cry about horse-trading, the government decided to bring the constitutional amendment but the move to eliminate dishonesty and fraud was sabotaged by the PPP and JUI-F.
It was said by the opponents of the proposed amendments that the PML-N fears desertion of its lawmakers in the Balochistan Assembly and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) apprehends a similar development in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) legislature and that was why they had teamed up for the constitutional amendment.
As against the KP and Balochistan, the Punjab and Sindh remained free from any such allegations of buying and selling of MPs. There have been no serious charges of money changing hands in these two provinces.
In Balochistan, nine independent candidates eye the Upper House. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), there are five independents in the field, who are feared to mainly cause defections in the PML-N and the PTI.
Apart from some filthy rich independent candidates, the joining of hands by Asif Ali Zardari and Fazlur Rehman is also expected to help them win more seats than their due share.
The PPP co-chairperson has been active during the recent past to outsmart the PML-N and grab the office of chairman Senate for his party whereas Fazlur Rehman is said to be eager to dent the PTI in the KP.
The election of the new Senate chairman would be a close call, as the two main contenders — the PML-N and the PPP — are going to end up with almost an equal number of senators after the March 5 polls as far as their individual tally is concerned. Both are expected to have 26 senators each, which means none will be in a position to get its favourite elected as the Senate chief single-handedly in the 104-member Upper House. After the March 5 elections, the real fight between the PML-N and PPP would begin for the Senate chairman’s seat for which Asif Ali Zardari has already done a lot of homework. However, in the post-Senate election situation, the PML-N is expected to get an advantage for being in the government.