 "Imran Khan called own legislators for taking bribes: Yousaf Raza Gilani")
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Yousaf Raza Gilani, who defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) leader Hafeez Shaikh in Islamabad during Senate elections, has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan called his own legislators for taking bribes and selling loyalties.
According to a report by ARY News, Gilani, on Thursday, said that it was the prime minister himself who opened the treasure chests to buy votes so he can make Hafeez Shaikh a senator.He also urged Imran Khan to introspect himself instead of accusing others.
He has himself admitted the fissures within his own party lines with the claims of taking confidence vote from the parliament, said Gilani, rhetorically asking whether it actually doesn't matter to PM Khan if he loses the premiership, ARY News reported.
A day after suffering a setback in the Senate polls, the Prime Minister, with the aim to seek a vote of confidence from the lawmakers, said he is willing to sit in the opposition if his party's lawmakers feel that he is "incompetent".
He will be seeking a confidence vote in the National Assembly on March 6.
During his national address, he warned the country's opposition that he will not spare anyone until they return the nation's money even if that meant losing the premiership.
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"All members [of PTI], this is your democratic right. If you feel I am incompetent, I will sit in the opposition," the premier said while addressing the nation on Thursday.
"I am addressing the PDM right now, my message to them is that I will not spare anyone of you even if I lose power until you return the nation's money," he added.
Khan's party suffered defeat on a key seat in the country's Senate elections.
In a close vote, former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) defeated Shaikh, who currently serves as the country's finance minister, by 169 to 164 votes, according to unofficial results.
The result came as a blow to Khan's PTI as his party and its allies control the National Assembly, and the implication is that some members or allies may have defected when they voted by secret ballot.
A session of the National Assembly has been summoned for Saturday where Prime Minister Khan will seek a vote of confidence from the parliament.
Khan on Thursday raised questions over the "performance and responsibility" of the country's election body and pinned the blame on the opposition parties after losing the Islamabad seat.
Khan questioned the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) saying, "Your (ECP) major responsibility was transparency (during Senate polls) but why did you ask for a close ballot.