PTI vows to prevent PML-N from electing Senate chief

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday vowed to prevent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from electing its chairman Senate and take control of the House for a three-year term. Speaking at a news conference after the party's core committee meeting, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that talks are underway with the opposition parties in the Senate to block PML-N from electing its chairman and deputy chairman.
The PML-N emerges as the largest political party with 33 senators after March 03 elections, followed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 20 members and PTI managed to increase its number to 12. "Every effort would be made with support of smaller parties to prevent PML-N from electing its chairman and deputy chairman," he said.
He also told the media that PTI has taken strong notice of the reports of horse-trading in the Senate elections, saying that action would be taken against the party's members of the provincial assembly accused of the irregularities in the election process.
He said that PTI's 16 members of the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have allegedly been indulged in the horse-trading. "This will not be a political action, rather the action will be initiated under the criminal law," he added. He further said that the party wants to bring constitutional amendment to change the procedure of the Senate elections with a view to permanently stop the horse-trading.
He said that the party would also approach PML-N and PPP to support the constitutional amendment as it would in the interest of every political party, adding that the current election process is only promoting the practice of horse-trading. Referring to cases of corruption against Sharif family, the PTI spokesperson said that the investigations into corruption charges against Nawaz Sharif and his children are heading towards logical conclusion. He alleged that the former prime minister had sent money abroad through 16 companies. "Nawaz Sharif was running the money laundering network through Ishaq Dar", he further alleged.
Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan chaired the core committee meeting which was attended by senior party leaders. Party sources said that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak briefed the meeting about the alleged horse-trading in the provincial assembly for the March 03 Senate elections.
They said that the chief minister presented a detailed report regarding allegations of horse-trading and the involvement of the PTI MPAs who have allegedly sold out their votes to candidates of the other parties. They said that the meeting decided that strict action would be taken against all the MPAs allegedly involved in the illegal practice of horse-trading.