Clean politics: PM Abbasi vows to take on 'dirty' senators

Inaugurates first unit of Tarbela 4th extension project

ISLAMABAD: Perturbed over alleged horse-trading in the Senate election, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday vowed to take on "those who purchased votes and insulted democracy" while reiterating that his party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-- would "clean Pakistan's democracy of dirty politics".

"The extent of foul play in the Senate election was unprecedented -- this is not something to be proud of," the prime minister said while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the first unit (470 megawatts) of 1,410 MW Tarbela Fourth Extension Hydropower Project.

"Those so-called senators who would have representation in the new Senate -- do they really deserve to be called as members of the upper house?

“Is it fair what have they done to get elevated in the Senate?"

His statement comes amidst reports that mainstream political parties, including the PML-N, and opposition forces like the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarian and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, spent 'billions' in the Senate election to buy votes for their respective candidates.

Those parties have accused one another of resorting to horse-trading.

At present, intense battle is on between political parties to grab the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of the Senate, and multiple rounds of secretive and publicly-known huddles are going on to finalise their candidates.

The PML-N says it has a right to get its candidate elected as Senate chairman after emerging as the single largest party in the upper houses and that 'certain forces' are trying to deprive the N-League from getting the Senate's chairmanship.

 



PM Abbasi claimed that his party did not resort to any kind of horse-trading and did not spend 'even a penny' to buy votes in Senate polls.

“On oath, PML-N senators-elect can say that they had not lured members of assemblies through such unfair tactics.

“Our party never used abusive language against anyone, as it stood for decency and order in the political arena,” he added.

"We don't believe in exercising unfair means to get seats in parliament. The PML-N represents public mandate and does not need to resort to cowardly tactics to win elections. When public is with you, you don't need to bribe voters."

Before the Senate poll, Abbasi had vowed to confront those senators "on the floor of parliament and outside" who got elected through bribery and horse-trading.

He again reiterated the same in Tarbela. "We would confront them at every level. The one who steals does not deserve parliamentary honour."

Abbasi said the country needed to get rid of foul play, manoeuvring and horse-trading to ensure transparent and clean democracy in Pakistan.

The prime minister also put weight behind the outgoing Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, saying the PML-N recommended his name for re-election based on his “credibility, integrity and competence”.

Taking a jibe at the PPP-P supremo Asif Ali Zardari, he said, "But our recommendation was rejected by none other than Rabbani Sahib's own party leadership. This speaks volumes of their (PPP-P's) intentions -- if, at all, they want transparency in the Senate's affairs."

President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Sartaj Aziz and envoys of China, Britain, France and Germany and senior government officials were also present on the occasion.

A statement from the PM Office said two more units of Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project will be online before the advent of summer this year.

"Commissioning of Tarbela Fourth Extension Hydropower Project is yet another historic milestone achieved by the government to add 1,410 MW in the national grid."

T-4 project will play pivotal role in balancing energy mix of the country and stabilizing prices of electricity for a long span in future with an attractive Economic Rate of Return of more than 30 per cent and annual cost sale of $ 300 million to national exchequer..

Completion of this important project within time and cost always held top priority of the government. It resounds as a real proof of the Government’s commitment to provide relief to common man through provision of affordable and clean energy. It will also augment economic growth and social uplift, the statement said

T-4 project will generate 3.84 billion units annually equivalent of burning of one million tonnes of furnace oil. Newly installed units of T-4 project are more efficient and it is expected to have 10 --15 per cent more energy through these units, according to PM Office.