Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Jamil Ahmed Khan who recorded the video showing Ali Haider Gilani, son of Senator and PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gilani, offering him inducements has submitted his testimony before the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP).
The testimony submitted before the ECP was reportedly obtained by a private TV channel and was shared onscreen during a talk-show, Power Play hosted by a prominent anchorperson Arshad Sharif.
In the testimony, the MNA Jamil Khan while confirming the authenticity of the video admitted his presence in the meeting with Ali Haider Gilani along with another PTI lawmaker Faheem Khan and said that the entire matter was brought in the knowledge of the party leadership.
He assured the ECP that he would appear before the commission as a witness regarding the matter whenever called.
On March 06, two PTI MNAs filmed in the leaked video showing Ali Haider Gilani buying vote for the Senate election called on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and extended their full support.
MNA Muhammad Jameel and Faheem Khan in their meeting with the prime minister apprised him about the scandal and admitted they were filmed in the video.
In their informal talk after meeting with the premier, the MNAs of the ruling party expressed their full confidence in PM Imran Khan and added that today is the day of Khan’s victory. They claimed that they are clear and will not hesitate to appear before the ECP if summoned.
Notably, the ECP has asked the ruling PTI to nominate its own members in a petition seeking disqualification of senator-elect Yousuf Raza Gilani over his son Ali Haider Gilani’s video scandal.
On March 2, a day before the Senate elections, a video surfaced showing Ali Haider telling two PTI members of National Assembly about how to waste votes.
Read more: PTI wins majority in Senate despite major setback in Islamabad
A four-member ECP bench, headed by Punjab member Justice (retd) Altaf Qureshi, heard the petition.
PTI counsel Ali Zafar was of the stance that the PTI and its allies have 180 MNAs in the lower house of parliament whereas the opposition has 160 members. “Had the polls been transparent, [PTI candidate] Hafeez Shaikh would have won by a wide margin,” Barrister Zafar added.
The counsel apprised the bench that the people were offered money and tickets for the next elections to garner their support, alleging that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) joint candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani “bribed” the PTI MNAs. “The premier then asked the ECP to intervene in the matter,” he added.
At this, ECP Sindh member Nisar Durrani asked when had the premier done that. The counsel replied that he did it through the media.
Justice (retd) Qureshi asked the PTI counsel whether he did not think it was important to make those who were seen in the video with Ali Haider parties to the case. Zafar replied that the persons in the video should not be made parties to the case. “The one who offered the bribe and those who received it, both are involved in the matter,” Qureshi remarked. “We can’t make only the one who offered the bribe a party to the case.”
Zafar maintained that Ali Haider was seen in the March 2 video telling PTI’s Captain (retd) Jamil and Faheem Khan about ways to waste their votes. The fact is, he added, that a sting operation was carried out against Ali Haider. “The commission had taken notice of the leaked footage and issued a statement in this regard.”
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The ECP member said there was no mention of money and Senate tickets in the video, asking the counsel to make all persons involved in the video scandal a party to the case. “If the charges of giving and receiving bribes are proven, action should be taken against all the culprits.” The bench asked Barrister Zafar to prepare the petition in the correct manner … “gather the evidence”.