*ISLAMABAD*: At least 17 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in KhyberPakhtunkhwa (KP) allegedly sold their votes during the Senateelection, enabling two Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidates to beelected to the Senate from the province where the PPP only has seven MPAs.
An initial investigation ordered by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak intoalleged horse-trading revealed that at least 17 and as many as 20 PTI MPAsin KP had voted for candidates outside the party, sources in the CM HousePeshawar and Bani Gala told on Sunday.
The investigation report also claimed that those allegedly involved in thepractice included several prominent party leaders and disgruntled partymembers, the sources said.
CM Khattak shared the findings with PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday,according to the sources. During the discussion, the party chief expressedhis anger over alleged horse-trading in the province and directed Khattakto submit a detailed report in this regard.
The PTI and PPP both accused each other of resorting to horse-trading inthe Senate elections in Punjab and KP on Saturday.
As Imran Khan questioned the victory of two PPP candidates in KP, the PPPput the same question to the PTI with respect to the victory of its lonecandidate in Punjab, Chaudhry Sarwar.
Meanwhile, a reliable source in the PPP claimed that it was KP CM Khattakwho had approached the PPP’s provincial chapter for an understanding on aseat reserved for women. However, this claim was rejected by the PTI.
“This is unbelievable and seems to be a part of a conspiracy theory,” PTIInformation Secretary Fawad Chaudhry told earlier when his views weresought on the PPP leader’s claim.
On the other hand, responding to Imran Khan’s allegations against hisparty, PPP’s Farhatullah Babar on Saturday accused PTI’s Chaudhry Sarwar ofusing unethical means to win the seat in Punjab.
“We negotiated with the parties (in KP) and secured their support. If wegot two Senate seats with only seven MPAs, how did PTI win one seatin Punjab, when it could not?” Babar said.
On the other hand, the newly elected PTI Senator Muhammad Sarwar has saidthat PML-N was talking about “post-mortem” of his own party after hissuccess that proves PML-N has embraced political death.
Addressing a conference at his residence along with opposition leader inPunjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, PTI Central Punjab President AleemKhan, MNA Shafqat Mehmood, MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal, Sibtain Khan and CentralSecretary Publicity Waseem Chaudhary on Sunday, he said, “Democratic-mindedMPAs gave us votes on the voice of conscience.”
He dismissed allegations of horse trading and rejected fabricatedallegations of PML-N against him. “PTI will give surprise to PML-N in nextelections and we will make government in the whole country includingPunjab,” he held.
The party’s core committee will decide on the election of Senate chairmanand deputy chairman, Sarwar said, adding that the success of PTI in Senateelections was a triumph of truth and democracy.
He went on to say that the party was united under the stewardship of ImranKhan and his success was a result of team-effort of whole party andleadership. “Pakistan is facing international pressure and I will serve thecause of country on the international level as a senator,” he added.
Answering a question, he said that the PTI will strengthen the country onboth internal and external levels by improvising internal security andforeign policy. “Rulers are threatening the national institutions, but theywill not succeed in their ulterior motives,” he added. – Agencies