Pakistan
‘Leaked horse-trading video’; Fawad demands ECP to take action under Article 63
Islamabad: Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry has demanded from ElectionCommission of Pakistan (ECP) to take action against those involved in horse-trading.
Following the emergence of purported video some parliamentarians sitting before and counting stacks of cash reportedly ahead of the Senate elections in 2018, Fawad wrote on twitter that those involved in horse-trading have been exposed.
He requested media to do some research to find out who became a senator in 2018 with these votes.
“Do these two senators have the right to be in the House? The ECP should also fulfill its responsibility and take action under Article 63,” he added.
A leaked video emerged on Tuesday showed massive rigging and horse trading in the 2018 Senate Elections. The video showed how fidelity of 20 lawmakers of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was changed after horse-trading during Senate elections in 2018.
The lawmakers had been ousted from the political party after holding a detailed investigation.
According to the report, MPAs participated in the 2018 Senate elections by taking Rs38 million. Whereas six PTI MPAs in Peshawar sold their loyalties by taking Rs40 Million for each vote in the 2018 Senate Elections.
It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier said that the cases against MPAs involved in corruption would be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). PM Imran Khan in 2018 tweeted:
Government, in order to conduct Senate elections 2021 by open ballot has approached the apex court under Article 186 of the constitution of Pakistan. Supreme Court’s guidance has been sought in the presidential reference in order to amend Section 122 (6) of the Election Act, 2017 without amending the constitution.