PTI accuses opposition of horse-trading

Party re-engages with allies to ensure speaker, deputy speaker’s slots are won in secret ballot

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accused opposition of trying to lure some of its lawmakers away by making “lucrative offers” for their votes in the election for the posts of the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

PTI leaders are worried mainly because of two reasons – the secret balloting and slim majority it holds over the combined opposition’s total strength.

PTI’s Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi warned that “it will be unfortunate if the voting pattern witnessed during the Senate election is repeated”.



In the Senate election held in March this year, the joint opposition comprising PPP, PTI and senators from Balochistan and FATA had deprived PML-N nominees of the posts of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman despite its majority.

The election for all National Assembly posts will also be held under secret balloting rule, which allows unbridled horse trading.

“It is everyone’s right to seek lawmakers’ support in favour of a candidate, but we do not want anyone to buy vote(s),” Qureshi said.

“PTI has the required numbers. We are confident that our nominees will win if MNAs voted in accordance with their conscience,” he said, adding that the opposition alliance was unnatural and would not last long.

PTI’s spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said: “PTI knows that some MNAs have been approached in connection with the election for the posts of the speaker and deputy speaker,” he said, adding the party would conduct an inquiry into the affair.

Another senior party leader said that PTI’s allies complained that representatives of the combined opposition had made overtures for securing votes of their MNAs.

He said after receiving these reports, PTI leaders were re-engaging with their allies, holding talks to avoid any surprise outcome in the election.

PTI and the joint opposition – PPP, PML-N and MMA – now had equal votes in the National Assembly after PTI leaders vacated various seats they had won in the general election.

PTI is now heavily dependent on its allies to win the election for the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, scheduled to be held on August 15.

New nominations

On Monday, PTI nominated Qasim Khan Suri, its MNA from Quetta, for the post of the deputy speaker National Assembly and Mushtaq Ghani and Mehmood Jan for the posts of the speaker and deputy speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, respectively.

Suri had twice served as PTI’s provincial president and is a member of PTI’s core committee.

He won his seat by defeating chief of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mehmood Achakzai.

Mushtaq Ghani won election from PK-39 (Abbotabad) and served as information minister in the previous PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, Mehmood Jan got elected from PK-66 (Peshawar).



Saudi monarch contacts Imran

Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz on Monday telephoned prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan and conveyed to him that the kingdom would always help Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by PTI, the Saudi monarch congratulated the party chief on his election win.

King Salman also expressed the hope for fostering broader ties between the two countries.

He also invited the PTI chairman to visit the kingdom, to which the former cricket star warmly accepted.

Imran Khan reportedly told the king that Pakistan considered Saudi Arabia’s security, especially the safety of holy sites, to be of paramount importance.