Shah stresses on voting via ballots in Senate

PANO AQIL: Opposition leader in National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah has said that those who were raising voice for constitutional amendment to prevent horse-trading are scared of their own lawmakers.

Addressing a public meeting here Thursday, Shah ruled out show of hands procedure in the Senate Elections and stressed on voting in the upper house of the parliament via ballots.

He said lawmakers are put on sale like animals in the Senate Elections, adding that MPAs and MNAs change their loyalty for a bid of Rs40 million.

Shah further said Maulana Fazlur Rehman could be persuaded by redressing his reservations over religious seminaries in 21st Amendment.

On Wednesday, Khursheed Shah had proposed direct elections in the Senate polls rather than going for a constitutional amendment to allow voting through a show of hands.

“The constitutional amendment with the sole purpose to stop horse-trading seems improper, as it is the job of political parties to stop the curse of horse-trading rather than using the crutches of constitutional amendment to deal with it,” he said while talking to newsmen in his chamber at the Parliament House after chairing a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Khursheed said the political parties should themselves stop horse-trading and avoid supporting the candidates using money in politics.

“All the political parties should sit together to develop a joint stand on horse-trading. The political parties have to set parameters to stop the black sheep in their ranks from using money in politics,” he added.

He said the PPP was ready to help the government to find a viable way out to stop the horse-trading.