PTI MPAs expose use of money in Senate polls

PESHAWAR: It has been proved that big amounts were given to members of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for securing their votes during the recently held Senate elections.

The PTI MPAs confirmed that they were being asked to return the amounts they had been paid during the Senate elections for giving votes to the party candidates.

However, newly elected PTI Senator Fida Muhammad Khan, allegedly involved in the process of demanding back the money, expressed his complete ignorance about it. He said he called the MPAs only to discuss allocation of party tickets for the upcoming elections. The PTI had blamed about 20 of its MPAs after the Senate elections for not giving their votes to the candidates supported by Tehreek-e-Insaf and Maulana Samiul Haq, in accordance with the party policy.

After conduct of Senate polls on March 3, reports were received that some party leaders, newly-elected senators and some senior government officials were calling the party MPAs to return the amounts they had been paid for giving votes to the party candidates, as they had not followed the party policy.

While giving the amounts, these MPAs were told to use the amounts during the upcoming general elections. However, after losing the Senate polls, some candidates called 22 suspected MPAs and asked them to return the said amounts as they had not given their votes in accordance with the party policy. Some of such MPAs divulged this information on the condition of anonymity, while Obaidullah Mayar, a party MPA from Mardan, stated it on record that the MPAs were being called and asked to return the said amounts.

He said Senator Fida Muhammad Khan, who was elected on the party ticket, demanded him to pay the money and threatened that the MPs who did not return money would not be awarded party tickets in the upcoming elections.

Obaidullah Mayar told Geo News that he had intentions to move court against Fida Muhammad Khan because he levelled baseless allegations against him. He said KP CM Pervez Khattak was also involved in this case and was causing problems for him. He said the CM caused an irreparable loss to the party by his acts.

Fida Muhammad Khan told the Geo News that he made phone calls to some MPs, but these were not for money. He said the phone calls were for party tickets for the forthcoming elections. When asked whether he was authorised to issue party tickets, he didn’t respond. He said he was making all efforts to lure the disgruntled party MPs.

Worth-mentioning here is that most of the MPs who violated the party line in the recent Senate elections belonged to the PTI. The party has taken a tough stance against them and decided to take action against them after collecting proof.