ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan may seek help from FIA and intelligence agencies to probe the alleged horse-trading in elections held on March 3 for the 52 Senate seats.

This was stated by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (r) Sardar Muhammad Raza Wednesday while taking up the suo motu case for hearing on the alleged horse-trading in the Senate elections.

The ECP had issued notices to the eight political leaders who had claimed unprecedented horse-trading during the Senate elections.

Heading the five-member bench, the CEC remarked: “Selling and buying votes is a serious crime”.

Representatives of different political parties, in person or through counsels, appeared before the five-member bench of the ECP to substantiate their claims of horse-trading in the Senate polls.

Shahid Gondal advocate, counsel for PTI Chairman Imran Khan, told the ECP bench that his party had already constituted a committee to trace the party lawmakers who voted for the candidates of other parties. He claimed PTI will soon provide all available proofs to the commission.

“PTI will ensure complete cooperation with the ECP in this regard,” Gondal said, while talking to media persons outside ECP.

In his written reply, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar alleged six MPAs of his party sold their votes.

According to Sattar, Heer Soho, Saleem Rajput, Shazia Javed, Naila Munir, Samita Afzal and Naheed Begum voted for the candidates of the rival party. In his reply, Dr Sattar further stated MQM-P has issued show-cause notices to these provincial assembly members.

Addressing the media, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Sheikh Salahuddin said the party has provided all proofs regarding horse-trading to the ECP.

“It is a very embarrassing act. Earlier, horse-trading was only limited to Fata, but now it has happened in all the provinces,” he lamented and added the evidence contains names of those who sold their votes.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and PML-N leader Amir Muqam also appeared before the ECP bench.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb told the bench that ECP has powers under Article 20 of the Constitution to investigate irregularities in elections. The chief election commissioner said he will do so, asking the political parties to cooperate with the ECP in this regard. “It is unfortunate that those who sell their votes and those who buy it are both parliamentarians,” the CEC remarked.

The hearing was adjourned until April 4.

Later, Marriyum Aurangzeb, talking to media persons outside the Election Commission of Pakistan, said the ECP should take notice of horse-trading and act against those responsible for it.

She said if a party with only 30 seats gets 44 votes, it becomes obvious that it has used illegal means. She said every institution of the country should work within the framework of the Constitution.