Pakistan: Court issues bailable arrest warrant against Pakistan Peoples Party leader in 2021 Senate Horse Trading Case

A district and sessions court in Islamabad, on Wednesday, issued a bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Ali Haider Gillani in an alleged horse-trading in the 2021 Senate elections.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad, on Wednesday, issued a bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Ali Haider Gillani in an alleged horse-trading in the 2021 Senate elections, reported Geo News. Ahead of the Senate election in 2021, a video surfaced on an online platform showing Ali Haider, son of former prime minister and then joint opposition's candidate for Senate chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani, explaining to lawmakers how to tamper their votes.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday while hearing the cases in the court, the judge put off the indictment of Gillani and the other two accused -- Fahim Khan and Jameel Khan. The court also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the other two accused in the case.

The lawyers of the accused submitted applications to exempt their clients from appearance. However, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lawyer Saad Hasan raised objections over the exemption pleas and said the accused were using delaying tactics in the case, reported Geo News.

After hearing the arguments, the judge issued warrants for the accused and adjourned the hearing of the case till June 16. The then-ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in March 2021 alleged that their lawmakers were being bought with money by the PPP leader.

"In the video from March 2, the candidate's son, Ali Haider Gillani, can be allegedly seen offering bribes to buy votes," the PTI's lawyer who filed an application before the ECP had said. The PTI emerged as the largest party in the upper house with 18 seats, followed by PPP with eight seats on March 3, according to Geo News.

The PTI government had accused the then-opposition of being involved in illegal practices by using money to gain votes while the opposition blamed the ruling party for raising the open ballot issue because it had doubts over lawmakers' loyalties. (ANI)

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