PDM responsible for damaging system: Shibli

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Wednesday raised serious concerns over dubious role of Yusuf Raza Gilani, who won Senate seat through, what he called, unfair means.

Gilani didn’t have any moral ground to contest Senate elections after the video scandal of his son Ali Haider Gilani, he stated in an interview.“Yusuf Raza Gilani should step down from Senate’s seat because the Pakistan People’s Party had lost morality after suspicious video of Ali Haider Gilani,” he stated.

Appreciating his party leadership, he said Imran Khan is a bold leader of Pakistan who made unprecedented campaign against corruption. Commenting on open balloting system, he said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), leadership had tried well to introduce open balloting for Senate elections.

Open balloting was the only way to stop horse trading like issues in the country, he remarked.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was responsible for damaging the system, Senator Shibli Faraz lamented.

About vote of confidence in the assembly, he said Imran Khan has made history as no political leader in the country had moral courage to take such a bold decision, he added.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said that they would challenge the victory of the joint candidate of the PDM in Senate elections from Islamabad seat, Yousuf Raza Gilani“Unconfirmed reports said that seven votes have been rejected as the victory was announced with a difference of five votes,” he said in a Tweet.

He said in a separate Tweet that PTI’s Fauzia Arshad has succeeded with a majority of seven votes, which proves that some people had sold out their vote on the ballot paper.

“Imran Khan has once again proved right as once again the votes have been sold out during the elections,” he said adding that the video evidence that emerged yesterday proved that Gilani’s family was involved in buying votes.

“It is better to hold an auction of conscience rather than holding polls next time,” Shahbaz Gill said.

Chairman Senate''s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Senator Faisal Javed Khan said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was a sole leader standing against corrupt practices and struggling to bring transparency in country’s electoral process.

Talking to media persons outside the Parliament House, he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, to ensure transparency and discourage anti-democratic values, had expelled his own party’s 20 Members of Provincial Assembly for their involvement in unfair practices in the previous Senate elections.

The opposition on the other hand was protecting to the corrupt practices and wanted to maintain status quo for their personal gains, he remarked.

Our correspondents add from Lahore: Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has said the people have rejected the negative politics of opposition.

In a statement, the CM said the PDM is badly exposed as it has disappointed the people on every issue. While, those opposing the transparent election have been exposed through a video and 220 million people have also been fully aware of the duality of the opposition, he added.

The negative attitude of the opposition has become a part of history, while PDM is facing disintegration, he said. The CM regretted that the opposition damaged the national interest for the sake of protecting its personal stakes. In a nutshell, the CM said the opposition is practically a non-entity, adding that it tried to politicise issues of national importance.

Usman Buzdar regretted that opposition always played a negative role while creating hue and cry from the day first. Those making tall claims before the masses have been exposed as the opposition has no strategy nor have they done anything for the masses, he added.

On the other side, the CM emphasised that PTI understands the pain of the poor and needy strata and time has also proved that timely decisions have been taken by the PTI government. The positive results are yielding in the shape of positive economic conditions, concluded the CM.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to CM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan in a statement on Wednesday said the whole world had witnessed horse-trading by political traders and the video had further exposed the corrupt cabal.

The SACM said that opposition has been badly exposed and all their political designs have been exposed. However, she regretted that the elements involved in horse-trading have no shame for their misdeeds.

The so-called heir-apparent to the throne of Jati Umra and Mr. 10 percent have violated all democratic and moral values and the nation will never tolerate any stain on democracy, she said.

PM Imran Khan is fully committed to ensuring transparency in every election and the nation is firmly supporting the PTI's narrative while the corrupt elements' so-called narrative has met a natural death, continued SACM.