close
Friday March 29, 2024

PM Imran Khan claims money was used to influence Senate elections' results in KP as well

PM Imran Khan says PTI senators are being offered bribes for Senate chairman election

By Ayaz Akbar Yousufzai
March 08, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses the nation. Photo: File

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday lashed out at the Opposition, claiming that money was used to influence not only the Islamabad seat's results in the Senate elections but also in seats for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections for the upper house.

This was said by the prime minister during a meeting of the PTI where the premier was addressing party members, urging them to push the government's narrative on the Senate elections.

The PTI chairperson said that his party's senators were already receiving offers to sell their votes for the upcoming Senate elections.

"I know very well which senator was offered what," said the prime minister.

The premier continued his criticism of the Election Commission of Pakistan, saying that its role had been controversial in the recent Senate polls.

PM Imran Khan lashed out at PDM's joint candidate for the post of Senate chairman, former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, adding that the PPP leader had "destroyed [the concept of] morality [in politics] and the entire nation is watching his actions".

"The Opposition used money to win the Islamabad seat," he said, referring to Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh's surprise loss to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The prime minister urged party representatives to highlight the issue of the Opposition allegedly buying votes in the Senate elections, adding that the PPP and the PML-N have been using money as a tool to influence elections in the past as well.

"These people first spend money to get elected and then spend the same money [on illegal activities]," said PM Imran Khan.

Gilani pulls shock victory over Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in Islamabad

After a hotly contested electoral battle last week, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani emerged victorious against the ruling party's Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

After the result was announced, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and the former prime minister had shaken hands and hugged each other. The news of Hafeez's defeat was told to him by Zain Qureshi — who was the minister's polling agent — following which the two men had embraced each other.

Gillani had secured 169 votes while Shaikh received 164 votes. Out of the total number of 341 votes, 6 were rejected and 1 was not polled.

Gillani's certificate of election for the Senate seat was also issued by the ECP.