PM Imran forms committee to probe 'horse-trading' video

Committee comprises ministers Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari and PM's advisor Shehzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan constituted on Thursday a three-member committee to probe the scandalous vote buying video showing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inasf (PTI) MPAs allegedly accepting bribes prior to 2018 Senate elections.

As per the official statement, the prime minister, while taking notice of the video, directed the matter to be probed by a committee consisting of two federal ministers and one of his advisors.

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari and PM’s Advisor on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar have been confirmed as members of the committee. 

The committee has been directed to submit a comprehensive report, including recommendations for further actions as required in the domain of electoral and criminal laws, within a month.

Also read: Video scandal may implicate PTI’s bigwigs

A video showing lawmakers allegedly receiving money for voting for the PPP candidates in the 2018 Senate polls whipped up a storm on Tuesday with Prime Minister Imran Khan ordering Khyber-Pakhtunkwa (K-P) chief minister to remove an incumbent provincial minister, Sultan Muhammad Khan.

The video showed a man handing over large sums of money, reportedly Rs20 million, to various K-P Assembly lawmakers from the ruling PTI as well as some other parties.

In the video clip, made through a hidden camera, K-P incumbent Minister for Law Sultan Muhammad Khan and another person Sardar Idrees could be seen counting the money and signing an undertaking.

Also read: PM says leaked video vindicates his stance on corruption

Former members provincial assembly (MPAs) from the PTI Meraj Hamyoon and Dena Khan, former PPP MPA Muhammad Ali Bacha and others could also be seen receiving cash for supporting the candidates of another party in violation of their party lines.

Implicating bigwigs

The video could potentially implicate PTI stalwarts as the ousted lawmakers of the K-P assembly have claimed that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak – being ex-speaker of K-P assembly and ex-chief minister K-P respectively – were present when the money was allegedly distributed among the lawmakers.

Both Qaiser and Khattak have denied the allegations; however, legal experts opined that criminal proceedings under the ECP Act, 2017, as well disqualification under Article 62, 63 of the Constitution – the sections about Sadiq and Ameen – could be initiated against them.

“The issue can lead to disqualification under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution,” eminent lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi said. “If it is proved that horse-trading took place then it is misconduct by virtue of the Elections Act, 2017,” Abbasi said, adding that a full-fledged trial can be conducted by a district and sessions court on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s complaint.