For the first time in the annals of Parliament, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday announced that it is expelling its 20 MPAs for selling out their votes, for Rs 1.3 billion approximately, in recently held Senate elections. Speaking at a presser here, PTI Chairman Imran Khan flanked by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak declared that the party is taking action against 20 of its members and allies for participating in horse-trading in last month Senate elections.
He said that show-cause notices will be issued to the lawmakers who have sold out their loyalties in Senate elections, adding that their names will be given to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to initiate probe against them. "I felicitate the party members who didn't sell their loyalties in the elections and those who sold out their votes will have to face the music and they have no place in the party now," he maintained.
"Everyone knows loyalties are sold in elections but no institution initiates action against those involved. We will send the names of these members to NAB for an investigation if they won't respond to the show cause notices," he added.
"We are expelling those from the party who sold their conscience and loyalties...this practice [of selling votes] must come to an end," he added.
According to an internal probe, around Rs 40 million were offered to MPAs to buy their votes in the last month's election, said the PTI chief. By furnishing explanation in response to show cause notices, the members can avoid being expelled from the party, he added.
The names of the PTI lawmakers who are suspected by the party leadership of selling out their votes include: Deena Naaz, Nargis Ali, Nagina Khan, Sardar Idrees, Obaid Mayar, Zahid Durrani, Fozia Bibi, Naseem Hayat, Qurban Khan, Arif Yousaf, Amjid Afridi, Abdul Haq, Javed Naseem, Yasin Khalil, Faisal Zaman, Sami Alizayi, Mara Homerun of Qaumi Witan party (QWP), Khartoum Bibi and Babar Saleem of Awami Jamshoro Ittehad and Wajihuz Zaman, who has already announced to join Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMl-N).
The PTI chief said that this is not the first time that lawmakers have taken part in horse-trading as this has been happening for the past 30 or 40 years "and there is a need to put a full stop."
An initial investigation ordered by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak into alleged horse-trading had revealed that at least 17 ? and as many as 20 ? PTI MPAs in KP had voted for candidates outside the party.
"The investigation committee will give proofs to NAB on how these lawmakers were bribed," the PTI chief said, challenging other parties to oust their corrupt members.
"Our recommendations were ignored when we tried to get parliamentary electoral reforms for Senate. The prime minister says that Senate elections were rigged and money was used but did he not know it before?" lashed out Imran.
Earlier in the day, an investigation report, carried out internally by the PTI, regarding horse-trading in last month's Senate polls was presented to Imran Khan. The party had initiated the investigation against members, who shifted loyalties, after losing one Senate seat from the KP Assembly.
Imran Khan had publicly stated that the KP lawmakers affiliated with the party had sold votes in the Senate elections. He constituted a committee to probe the matter and announced that strict action would be taken against such individuals.
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