Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan Wednesday approached Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's non-stop statements against alleged horse-trading in recently held Senate elections. In a petition filed with ECP through his counsel Babar Awan, Khan demanded that the Prime Minister should be investigated for his claim that 'money' was used in the Senate elections. He said that as a chief executive of the country, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is the most well-informed person.
"Given his [PM] statements about horse-trading in Senate elections, the ECP should summon him [prime minister] to appear before the Commission and prove his allegations," he added. He also said that the "buying and selling" claim by the Prime Minister must not be taken lightly as these are very serious allegations, adding the ECP should hold a thorough probe into the matter as this is claimed by no other than the chief executive of the country.
The petition by PTI supreme came after the Prime Minister claimed last week that horse-trading took place in the recently concluded Senate elections. PM Abbasi had said that votes had been 'sold' in the elections for the Senate chairman. He had also challenged the PTI chief and Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to say on record that their MPAs were not bought. "I challenge Imran and Zardari to appear on television and say that MPAs and votes were not bought," Ababsi added.
"Imran has forgotten how he used to lament that Asif Zardari had bought fourteen PTI MNAs. And when the time to elect the chairman Senate came, he voted for Zardari's candidate," Abbasi added. The Prime Minister had said that he was proud that his party had not spent a single rupee during the Senate elections. Besides, the Prime Minister had said that he would not accept the newly-elected chairman Senate, terming his election controversial.