ISLAMABAD, Mar 12 : Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Friday said the opposition parties’ ‘heinous conspiracy’ and malicious attempt to breach secrecy of the ballot, during the election of Senate Chairman and Deputy Chairman, had been exposed after the hidden camera installed by them around the polling booth was unearthed.
Talking to media persons here at the Parliament House, he said the opposition parties had somehow managed to install camera on top of the polling booth, which was timely identified and pointed out to the Presiding Officer before oath-taking of the newly elected members.
He said the opposition itself committed the wrong act and started hue and cry, after getting exposed, and blamed the government.
“Opposition started the drama as they were the master of doing such acts, so they reached the site and gave impression of wrongdoing on the part of the government. We will thoroughly investigate it and expose the culprits,” he said.
Shibli Faraz said the opposition parties’ corrupt practices could be gauged from the fact they managed to win the Senate seat of Yousaf Raza Gillani despite having minority in the National Assembly.
He said Gillani was the person who opted to get disqualified as the Prime Minister just to protect the corruption of his leader Asif Ali Zardari.
The minister was of the view that such elements should have no place in the Parliament who always kept their personal interests supreme, setting aside national interests.
While contrary to it, he said, PM Imran Khan always safeguarded the public interest.
He said the PM wanted to bring transparency in the election process and accordingly the government introduced amendments in the Parliament in the relevant acts and approached the apex court for open ballot, but the opposition parties opposed it.
He said that the opposition had the expertise in the part of rigging and they have always been adopting various methods of manipulating the election process.
To a question he said the opposition’s claim of having a majority in Senate was incorrect as there were certain members who were independent, not part of the PML-N as claimed by the PDM.
Shibli said that they had one formula for the elections of senators and another for the elections of chairman and deputy chairman.
The minister said that the PTI was on the right side of history and would defeat the corrupt mafia with the support of the people of Pakistan.
He said that the PTI would emerge victorious under the leadership of Imran Khan who was known for being an upright person believing in merit and fair play. He said that former rulers were responsible for the backwardness and poverty in the country as they looted and plundered national resources.
The minister said if the government had the intention to manipulate the election it would have done in the Senate elections. He said every Pakistani knew who wanted the open ballot system and who was advocating secret ballot to perpetuate their illegal and unethical tactics.
Replying to a question, he said that it was imperative to introduce open balloting and electronic voting to end the allegations of rigging and manipulations in the electoral process.
He said that the opposition candidate for chairmanship Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was destined to be defeated despite using every unfair tactic.
Senator Faisal Javed said that those who traced the cameras themselves had installed them. He said that it was the opposition which believed in the malpractices and manipulation of elections and they got the cameras installed.
