Open ballot Senate elections to end horse trading practice: Shah Mahmood Qureshi    

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday asked as to why political parties did not follow the footsteps of the PTI and took action against their lawmakers involved in horse-trading during the Senate election, ARY NEWS reported.

“The government wants Senate elections through an open ballot,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi said adding that if that happens, the horse-trading practice would die down on its own.

He said that the PTI was the only party that took action against 20 of its lawmakers involved in the illegal practice and asked as to what action other parties had taken against their lawmakers involved in it during the 2018 Senate elections.

It is pertinent to mention here that President Dr Arif Alvi on February 06 signed Elections (Amendment) ordinance 2021 that will pave way for the organisation of Senate elections through the open ballot.

Read More: ‘Imran Khan wants to eliminate vote trading; Senate polls likely in March’

According to the Ordinance, a copy of which available with ARY News, changes have been brought to Sections 81, 122 and 185 of the Constitution.