Nawaz Sharif claims PML-N has never indulged in horse-trading

Rubbishing accusations of buying and selling of votes, deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif claimed on Wednesday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has never indulged in horse-trading.

While talking to the media outside an accountability court, the former premier said that he hated buying and selling of votes and that his party was ready to talk to affected parties to form a strategy to deal with the issue of horse-trading.

After the Senate election held on March 3, many political parties are claiming that the Senate seats had been won through horse-trading. PML-N party has won 15 seats in the Senate.

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Meanwhile, once the corruption hearing filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) resumed against Sharif  was resumed on Wednesday morning, Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Haris asked the court to exempt his client as he was unwell.

Judge Muhammad Bashir accepted his request and exempted Sharif from today's corruption hearing, after which he left the court vicinity, local media reported.

During the last hearing on March 2, Sharif was granted exemption from the court proceedings upon a similar request. The court had recorded statements from NAB witnesses.

Sharif has been named in three graft references, Al-Azizia, Avenfiled and Flagship properties. The references were filed by NAB following the Panama Papers revelation last year.