PM stays defiant, says not afraid of losing power

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that he was not afraid losing power despite his party’s embarrassing defeat on a key Senate contest.

Addressing the nation this evening on national media, he said opposition wants to exert pressure on government in order to get relief from corruption cases instituted against them by the previous governments.

The PM said he will take vote of confidence from National Assembly on Saturday in open ballot, which should be the standard practice. He said he is not afraid of losing power as he has no monetary interests. He said he bears all his personal expenses himself and is not A burden on national exchequer like previous rulers.

Referring to recent Senate elections, the Prime Minister said unfortunately it has been a practice to use money in buying the loyalties of members of parliament in this august house of parliament. He said money was used in order to win the seat for PDM leader Yousaf Raza Gillani. He said despite all the maneuverings of opposition, PTI has become the largest party in Upper House of parliament due to number of seats it won.

He said the two bigger parties, naming PPP and PML-N, were in favor of closed ballot so that they could buy the loyalties of members of parliament.

Imran Khan said he was committed from the outset to eradicate this practice in order to curb corruption. The Prime Minister said he favored open ballot concept so that people do not indulge in such practices. He said his party also went to Supreme Court of Pakistan for this purpose and the Apex Court directed Election Commission of Pakistan to use all modern technology to ensure transparency in the elections.

Prime Minister while addressing the ECP said secret ballot has made a mockery of democracy in the country. He said ECP could have employed latest technology in order to know who the turncoats in Senate elections were.

Imran Khan regretted that some media persons go for the defense of corrupt people in the courts.