CM refutes allegations of horse-trading

Contends PTI leaked horse-trading video to find ground for its demand of open ballot

KARACHI:

While Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah dispelled on Saturday the allegations of horse-trading levelled against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ahead of the upcoming Senate polls, he went on to claim that a video showing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders allegedly accepting bribes prior to 2018 Senate elections was in fact leaked by the ruling party itself.

Answering questions by media persons at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Karachi, where he went along with the other members of his party to file nomination papers for Senate polls, the CM said the PTI had leaked the video to create an impression that votes were bought and sold, and in turn find ground for its argument for an open ballot.

"The PTI is playing a game here as it fears losing the election," the CM remarked.

When asked about the allegations of horse-trading levelled against the PPP, the he maintained that the accusations were aimed at "defaming and maligning" the parliamentarians from his party.

"The PTI has gone berserk as [some of its] members have revolted against the party's decision to nominate non-party candidates for the Senate polls," the CM claimed.

On the other hand, he went on to say, "contesting candidates from our party have a long history of staying loyal to the PPP."

Saying so, he also expressed confidence that candidates from his party would win the elections.

"We have fielded our best candidates," the CM said.

Responding to another question, he maintained that Article 266 of the Constitution clearly stated that Senate polls were to be held through secret ballots.

Referring to the presidential reference filed in the Supreme Court to seek its advice on the matter, the CM expressed hope that the apex court would make a decision in accordance with the Constitution.

With regards to extending the deadline for filing nomination papers for the upcoming Senate polls, he said that it was there, at the ECP, that he came to know through the media that the final date for filing the papers had been extended.

"However, earlier, when he had suggested the same, nobody had paid any heed," the CM complained. "And now, when we have filed the nominations papers, the ECP has extended the date."

Wheat

To a question about the wheat shortage, the CM said he was "surprised" at the federal government accusing the Sindh government of hoarding the commodity.

"Why will we hoard it?" he asked a rhetorical question, adding that it was the failure of the Centre that it had not been able to procure enough wheat for Punjab.

"I am surprised that the PTI government has forgotten so soon the statement of Federal [National Food Security and Research] Minister Fakhar Imam in the National Assembly, where he said 6.6 million metric tonnes of wheat harvest had simply disappeared in Punjab," the CM said, claiming that the wheat "had not disappeared, but smuggled, and the matter needs to be investigated."

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2021.