Horse trading in Senate elections also terrorism : Siraj ul Haq

Lahore: Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Sirajul Haq, has said that if horse trading in the Senate elections was not stopped, the JI would be constrained to appeal to the people to besiege the houses of the assembly members willing to sell their votes and take them to task for that.

Talking to the media at the provincial Election Commission after the scrutiny of his nomination papers for senate on Thursday, he said that darkening the future of the nation through sale and purchase of votes was also a form of terrorism.

Sirajul Haq said, what could be more shameful than the fact that the people whom the electorate had returned to the assemblies and given them respect, should be ready to be sold like cattle.  He deplored that the Senate elections had been turned into a cattle market. He said that the Senate should not be made an Elite club.

Senior Provincial ministers Inayatullah Khan, Finance Minister Muzaffar Said, Religious Affairs Minister Haji Habibullah Khan, and JI MPAs were also present.  

He said, the JI and the PTI were in touch with each other in regard to the Senate polls.  He appealed to the MPAS to flatly refuse those who attempted to put a price for their vote as the time for horse trading was over long ago.

He requested the MPAs in all the provinces to exercise their vote on merit. He said that upcoming Senate elections were a matter of honour for the MPAS from all provinces, and added that the nation would not allow bulldozing of the bright future of the country in exchange for wealth.

In reply to a question, Sirajul Haq told the media to ask those who had decided to contest elections only with five votes in hand, if they were expecting any miracle.