LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry has accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of ‘horse-trading’ ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi’s vote of confidence.

Fawad said “the PTI parliamentarians in Punjab are receiving threatening calls from ‘unknown numbers’ and also being offered bribes in exchange for their loyalties”.

He said: “We urge Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to launch an independent inquiry into the matter.” He was addressing the media here on Tuesday.

The former federal minister also claimed that unfortunately the five MPAs of PTI from Muzaffargarh received calls from unknown numbers and were offered bribes to change their loyalties.

Terming Khan an ‘asset of Pakistan’, the PTI leader said that talking about ‘minus Khan’ was tantamount to weakening the country.

Stressing the need for snap polls, the PTI leader said that elections were the only way to bring political stability to the country.

Responding to a question about the number game in the Punjab Assembly, the PTI leader claimed that his party has the support of 188 MPAs in the House. He maintained that they would announce their future strategy on Wednesday (today) after the court’s verdict. He reiterated that they would dissolve the assemblies soon.

Responding to another question, he said that the PML-Q did not demand 20 seats, adding that they would make seat adjustments with the ally party in the province

He also said that the new army chief was apolitical and the institution was neutral. “We want to keep a working relationship with the institutions; we do not want to get into a fight with them,” he added.

Criticizing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he said that the electoral watchdog was ready for everything except holding elections. “The PTI will move the court against the ECP's decision to issue bailable arrest warrants for PTI leader Imran Khan, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023