PTI expels 20 members for selling votes in Senate elections

ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan has disclosed the names of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers who swapped their votes for money in Senate elections.

Addressing a press conference here Wednesday, Imran Khan said a committee was constituted to investigate the names of lawmakers who sold their votes in Senate elections in March. The committee has fully investigated the matter and we have received its report.

He said that show-cause notices will be issued to twenty members, and if no response is received then the party will take diciplinary actions. He further said the investigating committee will hand over the names of those held responsible in horse trading to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He said that alleged lawmakers received Rs40 million each, and lauded other members who resisted the temptation of taking large sums offered by other parties.

The PTI chairman said that several names were received soon afterward who were involved in selling off their votes. However, the party wanted to reveal their names after thorough investigation.

He said the practice of horse-trading was being held in the Senate elections since the last four years, and no one was ever held responsible for receiving corrupt payments for voting.

“Since forty years, people make deals in Senate elections. Our system does not catch anyone who accepts bribes for stamping a paper,” he said.

Imran expressed his disappointment that a parliamentary committee was recommended to change the election system to no avail. He said the incumbent prime minister raise his voice about horse-trading after losing the elections, and only when it suited him unlike previous elections.

“It is unfortunate the prime minister created a commotion over the selling of votes. Every time this happens in the Senate elections, it does not affect them,” he said.

Those who sold their votes for money could no longer be part of the PTI, Imran said, adding that he could tolerate expelling 20 MPs from the party rather selling of conscience.

Imran said he was expelling 20 lawmakers from PTI and they would be served show-cause notices.

If the part failed to get proper reply from these 20 MPs after show-cause notice, their names would be forwarded to National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Imran warned .

Those who sold their votes include Sardar Idress, Obaid Mayar, Zahid Durrani, Abdul Haq, Qurban Khan, Amjid Afridi, Arif Yousaf, Javed Naseem, Yasin Khalil, Faisal Zaman, Sami Alizayi, NArgis Ali, Deena Naaz, Nagina Khan, Fauzia Bibi, Naseem Hayat, Meraj Hamayun, Khatoon Bibi, Babar Saleem and Wajid Uz Zaman.

According to PTI twitter handle, these MPs are no longer part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI is taking legal action against them.