Sindh Chief Minister Shah fires back following ‘baseless’ allegations of corruption

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken strong exception to allegations that Pakistani parliamentarians sell their votes after receiving money in Senate elections terming the accusations as 'baseless'.

“I take strong exception to the allegation that the lawmakers give their vote after getting money as levelling such accusation on the basis of the three years-old doctored videos is wrong,” said the Sindh CM while talking to media persons as he accompanied the candidates of his Pakistan Peoples’ Party to the Karachi office of Election Commission of Pakistan to submit nomination papers for the upcoming Senate polls on March 3, 2021.

He said the Senate elections were held through the process of secret ballot as any legislator taking part in the poll was rightful to vote in favour of any candidate he chooses for the purpose.

He said that if a lawmaker determined that the candidates for the Senate election fielded by his or her party didn’t deserve to get elected then he or she had the right to vote in favour of the suitable candidate of any other party.

Secret ballot

He said the constitution bound the lawmakers to vote in accordance with the party lines only for the election of prime minister, chief minister, or vote for the money bill or constitutional amendment bill in the Senate and National Assembly.

He said the Article-226 of the Constitution of Pakistan stipulated that all elections including the Senate polls were held through the process of secret ballot.

He expressed firm hope that the Supreme Court of Pakistan would also decide in favour of conducting the Senate polls through the process of secret ballot as per the Constitution.

“No matter whatever the ongoing debate says about the mode of Senate polls these elections have to be held through secret ballot as per the Constitution,” said the CM.