Imran criticises Shehryar on wasting vote

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi on Wednesday wasted his vote during the heated Senate elections, a move that also invited criticism from Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, the PTI MNA says that Imran Khan wasn’t annoyed.

The Kashmir Committee chairman, according to sources, signed his ballot paper which most likely will lead to its cancellation as the Senate polling remains secret. Later, Afridi filed a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan. The lawmaker mentioned that he was sick for the last few days and was unable to attend party meetings held for the polls' preparation.

The committee chairman, in his petition, claimed that when he had reached the venue to cast his vote, the ECP staff failed to guide him. According to Afridi, he told the prime minister that he would suffer a heart failure, to which Imran Khan asked him not to worry and that he (Afridi) was loyal to the party. Afridi said that Imran listened to him and told him that he would talk to the presiding officer. Similarly, before Afridi, former president Asif Ali Zardari had also wasted his vote; however, the ballot paper was re-issued to him.