PML-N's Mushaidullah alleges billions circulated during Senate election

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushaidullah Khan has alleged that billions of rupees were spent on the 103-vote election for the chairman and deputy chairman of Senate.

Mushaidullah said this while appearing on Geo News' programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath after his party’s candidates lost the top Senate posts. “There were three or four parties which were united. These parties want to take credit for this but the real credit goes to those who cannot be seen,” said the senator.

According to Mushaidullah, some people had promised to vote for the party in the election failed to do so. “A renowned person from the independent group in Balochistan told [PML-N Senator] Raja Zafarul Haq that he did not vote for him, but the victory was his.”

The ruling PML-N lost the race to appoint their favoured candidates to the top Senate slots as Sadiq Sanjrani, an opposition-backed candidate from Balochistan, was appointed chairman. Sanjrani who was backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) secured 57 votes compared to 46 for Haq.

PPP’s Saleem Mandviwalla won the post of deputy chairman securing votes compared to PkMAP’s Usman Kakar who was supported by the PML-N and received 44 votes.

‘Defeat for democracy’

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has termed the outcome of the Senate election as a “defeat for democracy”.

Rehman said following this election Pakistanis will now hold the belief that whoever holds influence against PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is the “real influencer”.

"Everyone knows the truth behind why the PPP and PTI went to Balochistan to strike an agreement," he said.