SWABI: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said here on Sunday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government came into power to eradicate corruption and it would not compromise with the elements who sold their votes for monetary gains during Senate elections.

Addressing workers convention here, the speaker said that horse-trading and sale and purchase of votes in the Senate election would not be tolerated and no compromise would be made with elements who sold their political loyalties for monetary gains.

Mr Qaiser said that people were the custodian of their votes and would not allow anyone to sell their votes for monetary gains. He said free and transparent election gave strength and moral ground to democracy and that was why the government was stressing on open balloting to eliminate chances of horse-trading, corruption and sale and purchase of votes in the Senate polls.

In the past, he said people’s votes were sold during the Senate elections. He claimed that PML-N was being converted into a regional political party due to its negative politicking.

Mr Qaiser said that people knew those who had looted the country’s resources for personal gains. He said the elements who had played havoc with national institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills, Wapda and 400 mills during their regimes had again came out with catchy slogans to get people’s attention.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2021