Punjab CM poll: Imran Khan blames Asif Zardari for 'horse trading'

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has blamed PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari for ‘horse trading’ ahead of the election of Punjab chief minister (CM), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, the former premier wrote: “Today Lahore is seeing a repeat of the Sindh House horse trading that happened in Islamabad with up to Rs50 crores being offered to buy MPAs [Members of Provincial Assembly].”

Imran Khan said that the ‘main architect’ behind the horse trading is the PPP co-Chairman, “who gets NRO for his corruption and purchases people with looted wealth”. He demanded that Asif Ali Zardari should be jailed.

This is not only an attack on our democracy but also on moral fabric of our society. Had SC taken action & debarred these turncoats for life it would have acted as deterrent. Don’t Handlers of US regime change conspiracy’s Imported govt realise severe damage being done to nation?

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 20, 2022

In another tweet, the PTI Chairman termed horse trading an ‘attack’ on democracy and moral fabric of society’.

“Had Supreme Court taken action and debarred these turncoats for life it would have acted as deterrent. Don’t Handlers of US regime change conspiracy’s Imported government realise severe damage being done to nation?” he asked.

Earlier in the day, PTI leader Yasmin Rashid claimed that Asif Ali Zardari and the PDM government were offering their MPAs Rs250 million to Rs300 million to defect from the party.

Talking to media representatives in Lahore, Yasmin Rashid said that Asif Ali Zardari has set up a flea market for lawmakers in Lahore this time. Their MPA’s are being offered Rs250 million to Rs500 million, she claimed.