Ali Haider Gillani confirms MNAs belong to the PTI
ISLAMABAD: A video of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, Ali Haider Gilani, surfaced on social media in which he is allegedly instructing a PTI lawmaker on how his vote can be wasted.
Ali Haider Gillani was telling the PTI lawmaker the specifics on how to waste his Senate vote. Sources claim that the video of Ali Haider Gillani was recorded a week back.
Yousaf Raza Gilani is the joint candidate of PDM and is contesting the Senate elections against the PTI’s Abdul Hafeez Shaikh from Islamabad for a general seat.
Ali Haider Gillani confirmed that he was requesting the MNAs to vote for his father Yousuf Raza Gillani.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad he said: “I have been meeting several people as part of the campaign,” adding that it was his right to request the MNAs to vote for them. “We have requested many of our old and new friends, who belong to the ruling party, for their votes,” Ali Haider said.
“As far as this video is concerned, I can state this on good authority that these MNAs belong to the PTI, they are my friends,” he said.
“They called me and I have met them several times. And I will again meet them if they called me.” Ali Haider said he was the son of a Senate candidate and it was his right to request votes.
“We will ask for the vote of conscience,” he said. “I am proud of the fact that our family received the vote of conscience in every election, we have never been a part of the vote trade.”
Ali Haider said the PTI MNAs wanted to vote for his father because of their differences with Hafeez Shaikh.
They asked if their party forced them to vote for its candidate then what should they do, he said. “I told them you can keep your vote secret under Article 226 and vote for whomsoever you want.”
About the video in question, Ali Haider said there were more than two lawmakers present at the time.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill urged the ECP to take notice against Gilani.
Gill also held a press conference in PID Islamabad, in which he lashed out at the former prime minister. “We all know how a necklace was stolen from a Turkish princess,” he said. “You saw how one of his children was also involved in the ephedrine scandal.”
Gill said that from the video, it can be made out that Gilani’s son is telling lawmakers to either “vote for us or waste your vote”. “This video of corruption has once again proven that Imran Khan was right when he said this mafia will never let a transparent Senate election take place,” he said.
He urged the ECP to take action against Gilani according to its Constitution, adding that the electoral body was an independent institution and the government was ready to provide it with the necessary assistance.
