ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that ‘horse-trading’ took place in the Senate elections in Punjab and investigation would be conducted against those who switched loyalties, a private TV reported.
The president phoned PPP worker Aslam Gill and expressed regret over his loss in the Senate elections.
Zardari said the party had taken an immediate notice of Gill’s loss and those responsible for this outcome would be investigated. Gill thanked the president for his call and said that he would continue to serve as a senior worker of the party.
Meanwhile, PPP MNA and sister of President Zardari has summoned PPP Punjab leadership meeting on March 6 to discuss Gill’s defeat in Senate polls. At least five PPP MPAs in Punjab including Raana Rizvi, Samina Naveed, Javed Alllauddin and Major (r) Abdul Rehman were suspected of not casting their votes for Gill.
On Friday, Governor Punjab Sardar Latif Khosa blamed that some ‘traitor’ MPAs of PPP did not cast their votes in favour of party candidate Gill. He said that an investigation against those turncoat MPAs was under way and they would be charged according to the party rules and regulations. The governor urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the violation of public mandate by the MPAs of Punjab Assembly.
Pakistan Muslim League-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain was of the view that Mohsin Leghari’s election as senator was disputed.