SC says will look into PTI-MQM-P deal for Senate elections
February 22, 2021 04:13 PM
Senator Raza Rabbani of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Monday told the five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC), hearing presidential reference on holding Senate elections via open ballot, that he did not want to blame the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) but the identifiable ballot papers must be within the reach of the ‘deep state’, which will blackmail members of the parliament (MPs), reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
When Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that justice always had the last say, the PPP senator replied that an MP would have committed suicide by the time justice was done in his case.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed said that a legislator should have strong nerves.
Senator Rabbani told the Supreme Court (SC) that as per media reports, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had struck a deal under which the PTI-led government would provide funds for holding fresh census in Karachi, and the MQM-P would reciprocate by voting for the PTI candidates in the Senate elections.
When he asked, “Will the apex court call this act ‘corruption’”?
CJP Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked that the court would look into the development.
At the same time, he urged the political parties not to enter into any alliance secretly.
In a reference to the by-elections in NA-75 Daska, Senator Rabbani said sarcastically that the state could not even protect its 20 presiding officers.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that history was replete with examples of people showing dissent. “Those showing dissent are not afraid of the consequences. They even stand up to dictators,” he commented.
He further brought home the fact that there was no provision in the constitution under which a legislator differing with the party’s opinion may be disqualified.