ISLAMABAD - After holding threadbare discussions in the face of increased criticism within the party ranks, the PTI core committee has endorsed its party Chairman's decision to contest Senate elections only from KP.
The core committee met under the chair of its chief Imran Khan at his residence in Bani Gala on Friday and held detailed consultations whether the party should take part in the Senate elections or not as it is boycotting the elections from National Assembly as well as from Punjab and Sindh assemblies.
A statement issued by PTI Central Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari said that the party had finally decided to take part in the Senate elections. "The Core Committee has endorsed the decision," it added.
"We are holding a debate whether to take part in the Senate elections or not and getting briefing from CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pervez Khattak," Chairman Imran Khan said earlier in the day while addressing a press conference after the end of the first session of the core committee meeting.
Some days back, Khan during his stay in Saudi Arabi, had told the media that PTI would take part in Senate elections only from KP and a decision had been taken in this regard.
Khan in his press conference suggested that there should be open balloting in the Senate elections as at present there is secret balloting in these election that promoted corruption in the whole process.
"On one side politicians earn bad name through secret balloting and on the other side those people come in the Senate who have used money (to get votes)," he said. "Each Senate vote from KP is getting Rs 30 million offer as bribe and if any member of my party got involved in such practice he would be ousted even at the cost of party's provincial government," he added.
A party leader said that Khan was facing severe criticism within the party ranks over the decision to take part in the Senate elections especially from those lawmakers who have resigned from the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.
They view that on one side they had resigned from the assemblies on the direction of the leadership and on the other side the party leadership has announced to take part in the Senate elections from KP.
They are of the opinion that Senate is one of the two houses of the parliament and part and parcel of the parliament. "If PTI wants to go into the Senate, then why not it can go back in the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies," the leader said while quoting a party legislator.
"It would have to be first decided that we have to go back in the assemblies or not and if not then there is no point that elections would be contested from KP," he said.
The supporters of the Senate elections in PTI say that the party should take part in the Senate, as the party would get six to seven seats from the province. They say that as the party sees that it would be in a position to form next federal government then it had to keep its strength in the Upper House to make legislations.
During his press conference, Imran condemned the terrorism attack in Shikarpur, Sindh.
"The government has pocketed Rs 300 billion through reduction in petroleum prices internationally during the last six months and imposition of surcharge on electricity tariff," he said.
He said that the government should at least reduce petroleum prices up to Rs 20 per liter keeping in view the reduction of prices in international market. "No one can find example of bad governance of the present rulers.
The PTI chief criticised the government for threatening business community in Karachi. "I condemn MQM and its chief Altaf Hussain for threatening the business community of Karachi...We stand by them," he said.
He said that his party fully backed the government to end terrorism so that no one could blame them that PTI was a hurdle in this regard. He said that the all parties conference (APC) had asked for action against all militant groups without discrimination and it was reversal of policy as previous the government had been backing some militant groups.
Responding to questions, he said that he was going to Election Commission on Monday in connection with the audit of votes of NA-122. He ruled out that there was no influence of the KP government on any police officer and said that peace in the country could be attained only if police would be made apolitical.