PTI MPAs being offered Rs500m to switch loyalties, Imran Khan alleges

Islamabad: PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is behind a plot to bribe PTI MPAs into switching loyalties ahead of the upcoming Punjab chief minister's elections, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday.

Imran said that attempts to purchase MPA loyalties were not only an attack on democracy, but also on society's moral fabric.

"Today Lahore is seeing a repeat of the Sindh House horse trading that happened in Islamabad with up to Rs500m being offered to buy MPAs. The main architect behind this is Asif Zardari who gets NRO (national reconciliation ordinance) for his corruption and purchases people with looted wealth. He should be jailed," the former prime minister tweeted.

"Had SC (Supreme Court) taken action & debarred these turncoats for life it would have acted as a deterrent. Don't handlers of US regime change conspiracy's imported govt realise severe damage being done to the nation?" he questioned.

After Fed govt toppled with stolen money from Sindh & NRO2 achieved, Certified Criminal Asif Zardari in cahoots with Sharif mafia now seeking to steal Punjab ppl's mandate by trying to purchase MPAs. Want to ask Honourable SC are they not cogniscant of the damage being wreaked?

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 20, 2022

Imran's claim followed similar allegations made a day earlier by other PTI leaders, who said the party's MPAs were being threatened and pressurised by the government through intelligence agencies and police to ‘manipulate’ the voting.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Shahbaz Gill alleged today that an MPA of the party was "bought" by Zardari and the PML-N for Rs250m.

Isn't destruction of our democracy, Constitution & nation's morality a fit case for Suo Moto action? Are the "Neutrals" not realising how our beloved country is literally being destroyed on all fronts by the Imported govt brought in through US regime change conspiracy?

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 20, 2022

He said that on Imran's instructions, a protest has been called at Lahore's Liberty Chowk today against the alleged horse trading.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry alleged that a party MPA from Rahim Yar Khan, Masood Majeed, had fled to Turkey after being bribed with Rs400 million. He accused Zardari of being behind the ploy.

Chaudhry said that three more MPAs had submitted their affidavits to the apex court, explaining how they were offered bribes. He also accused PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar of being involved in the alleged attempt to bribe PTI MPAs.