Committee formed to probe 'vote buying' in 2018 Senate polls meets tomorrow

• Committee to contact FIA, IB and anti-corruption in its probe
• Committee to also develop ways that government can investigate MPAs involved in scandal
• Committee to present final report on matter in a month

ISLAMABAD: The ministerial-level committee formed to investigate the leaked video showing PTI members taking money to vote in Senate elections will meet for the first time tomorrow, sources told Geo News on Friday.

As per the sources, the committee — that includes federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari and adviser to PM Shehzad Akber — will meet tomorrow (Saturday) at 10:30 am.

Officials, privy to the development, said that apart from contacting the Election Commission of Pakistan regarding the issue, it will also look into registering criminal cases against the people involved in the scandal. The ministers will also investigate different facts related to the horse-trading in the Senate polls.

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

The committee will also look into the ways the government can investigate the MPAs and develop terms of reference through it.

Sources say that the committee will seek help from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau and Anti-Corruption. They added that report will be presented to PM Imran Khan within a month.

The committee to probe the leaked video allegedly showing PTI members receiving large sums of money was formed on Thursday on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The three members will conduct a detailed probe into the events that transpired and submit a report to the premier containing recommendations.

Read more: Opposition will cry if open balloting is not held in Senate elections, says PM Imran Khan

Following the 2018 Senate elections, 20 PTI members were dismissed from the party after reports of them "selling their votes" surfaced.

Former PTI members Zahid Durrani and Obaid Mayar, who are visible in the video, were among those to have been dismissed at the time.

KP Minister for Law Sultan Muhammad — who was part of the Qaumi Watan Party in 2017 but joined PTI prior to the 2018 general elections — was also asked to resign after he was seen in the video.

Read more: 'Secrecy is important,' says CJP in Senate elections reference

Durrani and Mayar have alleged that the money was distributed by the KP government in the presence of Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

These allegations will also be probed by the committee.