Other parties must act against vote-selling MPs: Imran

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, on Thursday called upon all the political parties to take action against those lawmakers who had sold their votes in the Senate elections.

Imran said the decision to expel party members found guilty of selling votes in the Senate elections was done on the basis of investigations carried out by PTI's internal committee. The PTI chief added that 20 party members, found guilty of selling their votes, had been given a chance to present themselves before the party's investigation committee to clear their name. Imran added the party would submit their names to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on their failure to satisfy the committee.

Imran further said the members of his party were bought but the issue to be pondered over is as to who bought them. " The leaders of all the parties were aware that the votes were sold in the Senate elections but they all chose to remain silent spectators," he said. The PTI chairman further claimed that he was offered Rs450 million to get a senator elected, adding he could not divulge the name of the individual as he had declined the offer. The politician further added that others had also been made similar offers.

Imran, during the press conference, said it is the first time that a party has shown the courage to put its own government at risk to expel those involved in selling their votes. "We have another list that has details of the members of other parties who sold their votes and we are waiting to see if they take any action against their members," said Imran, adding the PTI shall disclose the list if the parties' failed to do so.

Responding to a question, Imran said the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been unfair in deciding to nominate the caretaker prime minister and heads of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the NAB. "The main purpose of the ECP is to allow a neutral setup," Imran said. "When these people will forge a deal amongst themselves, it means that a neutral setup doesn't exist."

In response to a question about the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar hearing cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Imran said the former is identifying the problems being faced by the citizens which is fine. "I want the chief justice to do two things...I want him to draw a comparison between other provinces and the KP and inquire from the people what has changed in the past five years. This will prove beneficial for us too."

Imran Khan also invited the PML-N stalwart, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, to join his party. Imran said his old friend Nisar had refused to take orders from Maryam Nawaz. "I was happy to see Nisar showing some spine," he said. "I liked the fact that Nisar refused to take orders from a woman who has no standing in the party except for being Nawaz Sharif's daughter," he said.