Legislators from the PTI have reported receiving “threatening calls”: Fawad claims that a bribe of Rs1.2 billion was paid to five MPAs from Muzaffargarh so that they would switch loyalties.
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the PTI, claimed on Tuesday that the party’s lawmakers in Punjab had been receiving threatening calls from unidentified callers asking them to change sides. He urged Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to launch an investigation into the allegations.
The PTI representative claimed during a news conference in Lahore that the new army chief was apolitical and that the institutions did not favour any specific political party in the nation.
The speaker said that PTI “does not believe in conflict with the institutions and wishes to have cordial working relations with the establishment.”
Fawad claimed that five PTI MPAs from Muzaffargarh were called by unidentified numbers and offered a bribe of Rs. 1.2 billion to switch parties. “But despite threats and offers of enormous money, they (PTI MPAs) are holding firm with the party.”
He requested that the COAS launch an impartial investigation into the situation.
He also discussed how crucial it was for the army commander to be impartial in regards to the vote of confidence for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister of Punjab.
Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, had earlier claimed that the military institution had not acted impartially in the situation.
According to the PTI leader, some voters were being pressured to cast a ballot against Elahi, and other MPAs were purportedly approached by establishment figures.
Fawad denied claims that the “minus Imran” formula would help Pakistani politics, describing Imran as an asset for the nation.
He cautioned that eliminating Imran’s political influence would be equivalent to enforcing martial law.
He criticised the ECP, claiming that it was “prepared for everything except holding elections.”
The PTI leader reaffirmed that his party had enough representatives in the Punjab Assembly to ensure the victory of CM Elahi’s vote of confidence. As long as we have the support of 188 lawmakers, the procedure will be finished shortly, he assured.
