Video surfaces of PTI lawmakers allegedly receiving bribes before Senate elections 2018

• Former MPA of the PPP Mohammad Ali Bacha can be seen in the video, handing out notes allegedly to PTI lawmakers in exchange for their votes
• Sardar Idrees, Meraj Humayun and other PTI MPAs can be seen in the video as well
• Bacha, Idrees say video is an edited one, reject allegations
  

  ---

A video of PTI lawmakers allegedly receiving bribes before the Senate elections in 2018 has surfaced on social media amid the heated debate between the government and Opposition on the issue of balloting for this year's Senate elections.

In the video, stacks of currency can be seen sitting atop a table in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PTI MPAs. Current KP Law Minister Sultan Mohammad Khan and MPA Ubaid Mayar can be seen in the video as well. 

Former PPP MPA Mohammad Ali Bacha can be seen handing over the stacks to the PTI parliamentarians. PTI's Sultan Mohammad Khan can be seen receiving money in the video and keeping it in a bag. 

Sardar Idrees, another former MPA of the PTI, can also be seen taking money. Another former PTI MPA Meraj Humayun can be seen in the video, receiving the money and putting it in a bag as can another former MPA of the party, Dina Khan. 

The government and Opposition parties are at loggerheads over the issue of open balloting in the upcoming Senate elections. The Opposition has rejected the government's demands to hold an open ballot during the polls. 

The government, on the other hand, has blamed the Opposition of bribing parliamentarians in the past to secure votes for the secret balloting in the Senate elections. 

Reports had emerged in 2018 that at least 17 MPAs of the PTI had voted for candidates other than their own party in the Senate elections which ultimately led the PPP to win two seats from the KP where it only had two senators. 

The alleged horse-trading angered Prime Minister Imran Khan. A subsequent inquiry spearheaded by former KP chief minister Pervaiz Khattak found various MPAs guilty of selling their votes to rival parties.

Bacha, the former PPP MPA who can be seen allegedly distributing the currency notes to the PTI lawmakers, spoke to Geo News to say that the video was an edited one. 

"Neither did I pay anyone nor did I receive [any bribe]," he said, adding that two separate videos were joined together to make this one.

PM Imran Khan reacts to video, says PDM wants to protect 'corruption-friendly' system

PM Imran Khan reacted to the video shortly after they went viral. The premier said that it showed how successive ruling elites drowned the country in debt and destroyed the country's morals.

"The videos showing the shameful way in which politicians buy & sell votes in Senate reflects the total destruction of the nation's morality by successive ruling elites as they drowned the nation in debt. Cycle of corruption & money laundering is a sordid tale of our pol elite:" he tweeted.

He blamed the "ruling elites" for coming into power and making money to purchase decision-makers, bureaucrats and the media to "consolidate their power and rob nation's wealth.

"They spend money to come to power & then use this pol power to make money to purchase bureaucrats, media & other decision-makers to consolidate their power & rob nation's wealth - money laundering it into offshore accts/ foreign assets/palatial residences abroad," he tweeted.

Former PTI MPA Sardar Idrees rejects 'edited' video

A former PTI MPA Sardar Idrees, who can also be seen in the video, rejected allegations that he had sold his votes to the rival party. 

"The viral video is a result of political opponents' conspiracies," he said. "This is an edited video, it has nothing to do with reality," Idrees added. 

The lawmaker said he will prove that he voted for the PTI in the Senate elections 2018 and hailed PM Imran Khan's stance of holding an open ballot in the upcoming polls. 

He demanded that his vote be checked before a forensic audit of the video is conducted. 

PM Imran Khan demands KP law minister's resignation after video leak

Prime Minister Imran Khan has demanded the resignation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Sultan Mohammad Khan. 

According to Dr Shahbaz Gill, a "detailed inquiry" will be held on the matter. 

In a follow up tweet, Gill said that PM Imran Khan had suspended the memberships of 20 PTI lawmakers who were found guilty of taking bribes and selling their votes. 

"On the other hand, the PML-N has bestowed more honour on its member Rana Mashood ever since his video came to the fore," tweeted Gill. 

"This is the difference between Imran Khan and these thieves," he said. 

Sultan Khan said he had sent his resignation to Prime Minister Imran Khan. "I am tendering my resignation on ethical grounds," he said, adding that it had been an honour for him to work as a member of the chief minister's cabinet. 

"I am unconditionally ready to face any trial," said Sultan, adding that he was hopeful that justice will be done and his name will be cleared.