Govt urges ECP to take decisive action against Gilani

PTI leaders slam former premier and his son for allegedly buying votes for Senate polls

ISLAMABAD:

Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Maleeka Bokhari has revealed that the government has once again asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to file a case against former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, who was allegedly involved in electoral misconduct, over his non-appearance before the electoral watchdog.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Maleeka, Kanwal Shauzaib and Alia Hamza held a press conference on Monday, wherein the parliamentary secretary said that she appeared before the electoral body to contest the events of March 3, 2020, when the former premier and his son tried to buy votes for the upper house.

“The case has been pending for over a year now, the Election Commission has been requested to file the case next week,” she said. “The public’s eyes are on the Election Commission, and it should bring the culprits to book.”

She said that the government has no personal enmity with Gilani, but their manifesto is to hold the powerful accountable. She added that the government will present its arguments next week, and hopes for a favourable verdict.

Kanwal said that the government had informed the Election Commission about corrupt practices in a timely manner.

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Addressing the father-son duo, she said, “I request them that they must come on the long march, but before that, they must appear before the Election Commission.”

She added that because of lingering corrupt practices, Prime Minister Imran Khan has been calling for the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

She said that the opposition knows that EVMs would close all loopholes for them.

Alia said that they have been seeing adjournments for a long time, but now they have told the ECP to conclude the arguments.

“Did anyone see Gilani and his son coming to the Election Commission during the entire year?” she asked.

She alleged that the father-son duo set up markets for Senate elections. “Your Charter of Democracy was a robbery, but we will fight the last breath for the supremacy of the vote, and we will disqualify Gilani and his son,” she added.