‘Horse-trading video’: Ex-CM Khattak, Asad Qaiser exempted from probe

The committee set up by the prime minister to investigate horse-trading during the Senate election in 2018 — following a leaked video of lawmakers taking money — will not probe Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser because allegations against the duo are levelled by “liars”.

This was stated by Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry while speaking to a local media outlet. According to Fawad, those who levelled allegations — Ubaidullah Mayar and Zahid Durrani-– have “sold their conscience”.

Fawad is part of the three-member committee alongside Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari and PM’s accountability aide Shahzad Akbar that would fix the responsibility in this case.

“The PTI leaders will not be probed on the basis of allegations levelled by those who sold their conscience as their accusations are not worthy,” the federal minister quoted by The News as saying. The committee would investigate as to who was the beneficiary of these bribes.

‘LEAKED VIDEO’:

On Tuesday, the video first released by ARY News showed lawmakers belonging to the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counting bundles of cash and then stashing the same in a bag.

The video showed how, during the critical period, loyalties were switched by PTI’s 20 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmakers, all of whom were reportedly expelled by the party’s central leadership after an investigation. The money was dished out in Feb-March 2018, it was reported.

A day after the video was leaked to the media, ex-PTI MPA Ubaidullah Mayar admitted to taking Rs10 million in bribe ahead of the elections in 2018 on the “directives of then chief minister Pervaiz Khattak”.

Mayar had said the PTI government had paid Rs10 million to all the MPAs and then recorded it on camera without their knowledge. He said the video was shot at the residence of then KP Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser — the custodian of the National Assembly now.

Khattak and Qaiser paid “us money and asked to vote for their candidates”. “At that time, Pervez Khattak had formed a committee of 17 MPAs and asked us to vote for them, paid us the money, and promised to give us party’s tickets,” he alleged

Both Khattak and Qaiser had denied these allegations.

It may be noted that the damning video comes at a time when Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expresses aims to hold Senate elections through open ballot in 2021 in a bid to eliminate horse-trading. Defending his party’s move to hold the elections through open ballot, the premier had last week spoken of bribes paid to buy loyalties, revealing that he himself had been offered some.

On February 6, President Dr Arif Alvi signed Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 that will pave way for the organisation of Senate elections through open ballot. But the Supreme Court is hearing a presidential reference in this regard and is expected to announce its decision on the secret ballot soon.