PTI to file references in NAB against 20 MPAs

Imran discloses offered Rs450m to get Senate seat for individual

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said the party has decided to file references in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against its 20 lawmakers for indulging in horse-trading during the recent Senate elections.

“We have constituted a committee to probe corruption in the Senate election and will provide a fair chance to accused lawmakers to explain their position,” he said while talking to the media on Thursday
“If they fail to satisfy members of the inquiry committee, their names will be forwarded to NAB,” he added.

Khan highlighted that for the past three decades, Senate election had been marred by allegations of blatant use of money to affect the result.
“No leader from any political party has ever raised voice against it,” he said.

The PTI has taken up the issue in the elections reform committee of parliament but neither the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nor the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) paid attention to his party’s proposal, Khan added.

The PTI chief disclosed that he was offered Rs450 million to get a man elected as senator.

However, he refused to disclose the name of the individual who had made the offer.

“I believe similar offers were also given to party heads of other political parties but none of them had ever spoken a single word about it.



“It happened for the first time in the country that a political party has shown the courage to put its own government at stake by expelling those who indulged in horse-trading,” he said.

Khan said the important point was that who had bought the loyalties of lawmakers.

The PTI chief warned that party also knew the names of other parties’ lawmakers who sold their vote in the recent Senate election.

“The PTI is waiting to see if these parties will take action against their members. It they fail to take any action the PTI will also reveal their names,” he underlined.

Responding to a question, the PTI chief invited PML-N stalwart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to join the PTI.

“Nisar is an old friend of mine. I am proud that Nisar showed some spine and refused to take orders from a woman (Maryam Nawaz) has no political standing in the party, except she is the daughter of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.”

Answering another question, Khan underlined that his party will not allow the PML-N and the PPP to rig the upcoming general elections by bringing a caretaker prime minister of their own choice.

“It will be unfair if only two parties nominated the caretaker prime minister, head of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and NAB.

“It is the core responsibility of the ECP to bring a nonpartisan caretaker setup in the country, otherwise free and fair elections are impossible in the country,” he added.

Because whenever those people forge deal among themselves, neutrality was compromised, he said and added all political parties had registered their complaints that the 2013 general elections were rigged.

“However, the PTI will not allow this to happen again,” he maintained.

Responding to a question about Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar hearing cases in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Khan appreciated the chief justice for highlighting the problems faced by common citizens.

“I want the CJP to do two things. I want him to draw a comparison between K-P and other provinces, and inquire people about what has changed during the past five years. It will be of great help to his party and the CJP will know the exact situation,” he added.

The PTI chief also unveiled his party’s 2018 election slogan, ‘Do nahin, aik Pakistan – Hum sab ka nia Pakistan’.