Islamabad (March 06, 2018): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a statement regarding four elected senators possessing dual nationalities following orders issued by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, a day earlier, had ordered the ECP to halt the notification announcing the victory of the four senators, namely, Sadia Abbasi, Haroon Akhtar, Nuzhat Sadiq and Chaudhry Sarwar.
The ECP, in its statement, said that it did not misrepresent facts. It further stated that the time for scrutiny was extended to 12pm, after the Ministry of Interior provided lists to all returning officers at 4pm.
According to an ECP spokesperson, the four senators had submitted affidavits of surrendering their foreign nationalities. The returning officers and appellate tribunal, both, had cleared four senators.
Meanwhile, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid has claimed that four senators, apart from the ones currently named, hold dual nationalities.
He also alleged that a single vote for the upcoming Senate chairmanship and deputy chairmanship polls was bought for an amount ranging from Rs40-50 million.
The AML chief demanded that all senators should submit affidavits to declare dual nationalities, foreign assets, and criminal records.
He also alleged that all members of Balochistan Assembly sold their votes in Senate elections. Sheikh Rashid further asked the winners to reveal their assets as some of the politicians are involved in money laundering.
AML chief said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) lawmakers also sold their votes for Rs5 crores each.
He further said that it might be possible that the new delimitation of the constituency mighty also be challenged.
