Shameful horse trading took place in Senate polls, says Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Saturday said that ‘shameful’ horse trading took place in Senate elections, ARY News reported.

“Senate elections yet again witnessed shameful horse trading where MPAs bought and sold their votes as country witnessed this sale of their “elected” people to the highest bidder,” he said in a series of tweets.

He said the horse trading showed moral decline of political class in the country. He asked in which Western democracy such a sale happened.

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The PTI  chief expressed resentment over rejection of their proposals by the electoral reforms committee regarding the Senate polls.

“PTI presented alternate election formats of either direct elections or elections on party lists. We warned sale of votes would always exist otherwise. Sadly, the electoral reforms committee rejected both these proposals as did the committee of the whole of the Senate,” he said.

He indirectly blamed the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of horse trading in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to win two seats in the Senate elections.

“The horse trading in Senate elections allowed the PPP to win two seats in KP where they only have seven MPAs. This sort of electoral farce raises some serious ethical questions,” he said.

PPP won two seats, with Bahramand Tangi on general and Robina Khalid on seats reserved for women.

Imran Khan said the Senate elections had not only devalued the Senate but the entire political class.

“The money in play in Senate elections is a major reason why the public’s perception is strengthened that people come into politics to enrich themselves rather than serve the people,” he said.

According to unofficial results so far, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N)-backed independent candidates lead in centre and Punjab in the Senate elections with securing 15 seats.

Elections to the Senate were held in accordance with Article 59 of the Constitution. Senate has 104 seats in total.

Each provincial assembly elects 23 members respectively. These include 14 general, four technocrat, four women and two non-Muslim seats. Four – two general, one technocrat and one woman are elected from Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Eight members are elected from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).