The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of federal ministers’ presser in which they had stated that the Election Commission had failed to hold transparent Senate elections, on Thursday, quoting sources.According to the TV channel, the ECP has directed Pemra to provide a complete record of the federal ministers’ news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday. The ECP said further action will be taken after reviewing the record of the presser. On Wednesday, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani won the Senate seat from Islamabad, defeating PTI’s Hafeez Shaikh. Gilani secured 169 votes, while his opponent Shaikh got 164 Senate votes.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), seven votes were rejected in a one-on-one contest. Following the PTI’s defeat in the Senate elections in Islamabad, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi flanked by other government ministers, including Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar addressed a presser. He said the ECP had failed in conducting transparent elections.
Qureshi further said that the results at the Centre vindicated the PTI’s stance of holding the Senate polls through an open ballot. “In my opinion, today is a sad day for democracy. Those who claimed to be the torchbearers of democracy have killed the principles of democracy,” the foreign minister said.
