Senate Elections: Leaked video exposes colossal rigging, horse trading

A video that surfaced on media exposed the horse-trading during Senate elections in 2018 by PTI party parliamentarians who could be seen as counting bunch of currencies and hiding in the bag.

2018 میں ووٹوں کی خریدو فروخت کی مبینہ ویڈیو منظر عام پر آگئی #GNN #GNNUpdates #PTIGovernment #PPP pic.twitter.com/MwGB4hptHK

— GNN (@gnnhdofficial) February 9, 2021

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.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Dr Shahbaz Gill in his tweet said:

آج کی وڈیو نے ثابت کر دیاکہ وزیراعظم عمران خان کا موقف درست تھا-کرکٹ میں نیوٹرل ایمپائر لانے کے بعد عمران خان اب سینیٹ میں صاف شفاف الیکشن کا رواج لانا چاہتے ہیں۔آج کی وڈیو میں اگر کوئی تحریک انصاف کا ممبر ہو یا کسی اور پارٹی کا سلوک ایک جیسا ہو گا۔کپتان کسی کرپٹ کو نہیں چھوڑے گا

— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) February 9, 2021

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:

The horse trading in Senate elections allowed PPP to win 2 seats in KP where they only have 7 MPAs. This sort of electoral farce raises some serious ethical questions.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 3, 2018

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.