Horse-Trading Video Before Senate Elections 2018 Goes Viral

A horse-trading video before the Senate elections in 2018 has been making rounds on social media showing politicians counting stacks of cash and putting them inside of bags. The video has sparked a heated debate between the government and opposition on the issue of balloting for this year’s senate elections.

The videos shows PTI lawmakers taking bribes before the senate elections in 2018, including incumbent KP Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan and MPA Ubaid Mayar while former PPP MPA Mohammad Ali Bacha was seen in the video handing stacks of cash over to PTI parliamentarians. Furthermore, the former PTI MPA Sardar Idrees, Meraj Humayun and Dina Khan can also be seen in the video receiving money and stashing it in a bag.

Meanwhile, ARY News shared a list of PTI lawmakers involved in horse-trading before the Senate elections in 2018. According to the media outlet, the female lawmakers included:

• Fauzia Bibi
• Dina Naz
• Nargis Ali
• Nagina Bibi
• Zarin Zai
• Zahid Durrani
• Faiza Bibi
• Wajihuz Zaman.

The male lawmakers in the list included:

• Yasin Khalid
• Sardar Idrees
• Amjad Afridi
• Babar Saleem
• Faisal Zaman
• Abdul Haq
• Javed Naseem
• Qurban Shah
• Ubaid Ullah Mayar
• Arif Yousuf
• Naseem Hayat
• Sami Ali Zai
• Meraj Humayun.

It is pertinent to mention that the central leadership of PTI later took action against these individuals and expelled them from the party after they were found receiving money against their votes before the Senate elections in 2018.

Currently, the government and opposition parties are disagreement over the issue of open balloting in the upcoming 2021 Senate elections. While the prime minister wants to hold open ballot during the polls, the opposition has rejected the government’s demands regarding the matter.

This has resulted in the government blaming the opposition of bribing parliamentarians in the past to secure votes in the 2018 Senate elections which is evident from the horse-trading video that surfaced on the internet.

Meanwhile, the former MPA Sardar Idrees has rejected the allegations that he had sold his votes in the Senate elections in 2018. “The viral video is a result of political opponents’ conspiracies,” he said. “This is an edited video, it has nothing to do with reality,” said the former MPA.

The lawmaker added that he will prove that he voted for PTI in 2018 senate elections and even supports Prime Minister Imran Khan on holding open ballots in the upcoming polls.

Moreover, President Dr Arif Alvi has signed Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 following which Senate elections will be organized through open ballots.

PM Imran Khan reacts to horse-trading video before Senate selections in 2018

Meanwhile, the prime minister has reacted to the viral video showing former PTI lawmakers taking bribes before the senate elections. “The videos showing the shameful way in which politicians buy & sell votes in Senate reflects the total destruction of the nation’s morality by successive ruling elites as they drowned the nation in debt. Cycle of corruption & money laundering is a sordid tale of our pol elite:” said the premier on Twitter.

“They spend money to come to power & then use this pol power to make money to purchase bureaucrats, media & other decision-makers to consolidate their power & rob nation’s wealth – money laundering it into offshore accts/ foreign assets/palatial residences abroad.” he added.

“This is what the PDM cabal wants to now protect by supporting a corruption-friendly system. We are determined to stop this cycle of corruption & money laundering that is debilitating the nation.” the prime minister stated.

PM demands resignation of KP Law Minister

Prime Minister Imran Khan has demanded the resignation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan after the horse-trading video at the Senate elections in 2018 went viral on social media.

“A detailed inquiry will be conducted and a report will be submitted.” said Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Twitter.

Furthermore, the SAPM said that while PM Khan suspended memberships of 20 PTI lawmakers found guilty of selling votes, the PML-N praised Rana Mashood after his video was leaked on the internet.

“This is the difference between Imran Khan and these thieves,” said Dr Shahbaz Gill.

Meanwhile, the law minister has tendered in his resignation and said it was an honor to work as a member of the chief minister’s cabinet and hopes his name will be cleared in any trial he must face.

Read more: Official suspended after out-of-turn vaccination of PML-N leader’s family.

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