Upper House polls: PTI to take part in Senate polls from K-P
Imran tells MPAs to resist allure of cash offers or face expulsion
PTI chief Imran Khan. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday formally announced it will take part in the upcoming Senate elections from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). However, the PTI chief Imran Khan warned his MPAs that they would be expelled from the party if they betrayed it during the balloting.
“I know Rs30 million are being offered for one vote in the K-P. But we will dismiss such members, who get involved in such practices even at the cost of our provincial government,” Imran said.
He was addressing a press conference during an interval at the PTI core committee meeting at his Bani Gala residence.
The PTI chief demanded that open balloting be held for the upper house elections to curb corrupt practices. “This secret balloting procedure has earned a bad name for politicians.”
Being the ruling party in the K-P, the PTI is expecting to get its five nominees elected as senators – three on general and two on reserved seats. The PTI has 56 lawmakers in K-P assembly.
A fair number of PTI leaders, including K-P Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, his key cabinet colleagues as well as former foreign minister Khursheed Mahmood Kusuri attended the meeting.
Insiders claimed that Imran and Khattak were in favour of participating in the elections, while Assad Umar, Azam Khan Swati and Shireen Mazari were against the idea.
It must be recalled that Imran, while performing ‘umra’, had announced that his party would take part in Senate elections from the K-P.
According to sources, the PTI leadership had to spend a good deal of time in placating leaders from other provinces, who were upset that while they were stopped from taking part in parliamentary activities, their counterparts in the K-P were given exception.
The members were told that huge amounts were being offered to the PTI lawmakers in the K-P and there was a possibility of a forward bloc being formed in case the members are stopped from taking part in the polls.
Speaking to the media, Imran reiterated that his party will approach the Election Commission of Pakistan on next Monday against the failure of election tribunals to dispose of petitions despite passage of two years.
Imran said: “Nawaz Sharif is avoiding replying one simple question: How have his sons become billionaires? “I’m ready to give explanation for my assets,” he said.
Imran also criticised the government for its ‘poor performance’ particularly on law and order and economy.
He said at least petrol prices should be further reduced by Rs20 per litre as per the trend of international market. “So far, the government has accumulated Rs300 billion from petrol price reduction mechanism, while by levying surcharges on electricity, the government is expecting to raise a further Rs300 billion just to fulfill the desire of International Monetary Fund,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2015.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday formally announced it will take part in the upcoming Senate elections from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). However, the PTI chief Imran Khan warned his MPAs that they would be expelled from the party if they betrayed it during the balloting.
“I know Rs30 million are being offered for one vote in the K-P. But we will dismiss such members, who get involved in such practices even at the cost of our provincial government,” Imran said.
He was addressing a press conference during an interval at the PTI core committee meeting at his Bani Gala residence.
The PTI chief demanded that open balloting be held for the upper house elections to curb corrupt practices. “This secret balloting procedure has earned a bad name for politicians.”
Being the ruling party in the K-P, the PTI is expecting to get its five nominees elected as senators – three on general and two on reserved seats. The PTI has 56 lawmakers in K-P assembly.
A fair number of PTI leaders, including K-P Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, his key cabinet colleagues as well as former foreign minister Khursheed Mahmood Kusuri attended the meeting.
Insiders claimed that Imran and Khattak were in favour of participating in the elections, while Assad Umar, Azam Khan Swati and Shireen Mazari were against the idea.
It must be recalled that Imran, while performing ‘umra’, had announced that his party would take part in Senate elections from the K-P.
According to sources, the PTI leadership had to spend a good deal of time in placating leaders from other provinces, who were upset that while they were stopped from taking part in parliamentary activities, their counterparts in the K-P were given exception.
The members were told that huge amounts were being offered to the PTI lawmakers in the K-P and there was a possibility of a forward bloc being formed in case the members are stopped from taking part in the polls.
Speaking to the media, Imran reiterated that his party will approach the Election Commission of Pakistan on next Monday against the failure of election tribunals to dispose of petitions despite passage of two years.
Imran said: “Nawaz Sharif is avoiding replying one simple question: How have his sons become billionaires? “I’m ready to give explanation for my assets,” he said.
Imran also criticised the government for its ‘poor performance’ particularly on law and order and economy.
He said at least petrol prices should be further reduced by Rs20 per litre as per the trend of international market. “So far, the government has accumulated Rs300 billion from petrol price reduction mechanism, while by levying surcharges on electricity, the government is expecting to raise a further Rs300 billion just to fulfill the desire of International Monetary Fund,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2015.