Senate vote being sold for Rs700m in Balochistan: PM

RAWALPINDI: Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed on Wednesday a Senate vote is being sold for Rs500 million to Rs700 million in Balochistan.

Speaking to media persons in Kallar Syedan, Prime Minister Khan said the ruling PTI can bag more seats than opposition parties if the upcoming Senate elections are held through secret balloting.

“How is this possible that the senator who gets elected by means of money won’t make quick bucks,” he questioned and revealed that he is being offered money for Senate seats and this is not the first time he is being made such offers.

“I was contacted directly and indirectly for selling a Senate seat for the sake of money,” he said.

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“For 30 years, money is being used in the Senate elections,” the prime minister said, adding selling vote in return of money negates democracy. He further claimed that it was JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who got most monetary benefits from the Senate polls.

He said he expelled 20 MPAs from his party for being involved in horse-trading, two of whom went so far as to file a case against him.

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The prime minister said the PPP and PML-N called for open balloting for the Senate elections in the Charter of Democracy (COD) signed between leaders of the two parties. “Why didn’t they [opposition parties] tried to do away with the practice of the use of money in the Senate elections despite being in power for 30 years,” the premier asked.