ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to `summon` Prime Minister Shahid Khagan Abbasi to examine his claim regarding horse-trading and use of money in the last month`s election for the Senate chairman.

The PTI chairman through his counsel Babar Awan submitted a formal petition with the ECP asking it to `investigate` the repeated claims of the prime minister regarding horse-trading in the election of the Senate chairman.

The opposition parties have been protesting against the PM`s recent criticism of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and the PTI and the PPP have even announced that they will move privilege motions against the prime minister for, what they called, insulting the whole parliament.

Both parties have also urged the prime minister to tender an `apology` over his remarks or be ready to face a strong protest from the opposition.

Speaking at different gatherings in Nankana Sahib and Lahore last month, the prime minister had expressed concern over the election of the Senate chairman, highlighting the need to elect a `consensus chairman` of the upper house of parliament as it reflected the federation.

Mr Abbasi also alleged that votes were `purchased` during the election.

The prime minister referring to the opposition`s criticism of him at various public gatherings reiterated that some parties had attempted to disgrace the democratic system by horse-trading.

`I am saying this again that money was used to get the Senate chairman elected. I repeat that the people of Pakistan do not accept the seats obtained by using money.

Those who have become senators or Senate chairman using the money cannot represent Pakistan. These people need to be sent packing,` the prime minister added.

He had also challenged PTI chief Imran Khan and PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari to say it on oath that the loyalty of the lawmakers had not been bought.

In the petition submitted to the ECP, the PTI chief maintained that the statements against the Senate chairman had come from `the chief executive of the country who heads all intelligence/spy master agencies of the country`.

`The repeated claim of Prime Minister Shahid Khagan Abbasi regarding use ofmoney/bribes in the election of the Senate chairman is very alarming,` says the twopage petition, a copy of which was released to the media by the PTI`s media department.

`Because of the f act that the chief executive is most informed office in the country and his statement so made is more of a confession than a disclosure.

`This matter, therefore, calls for immediate summoning and examination of the prime minister by this Commission in order to make all information and evidences available with the prime minister, part of the official record of the ECP for further proceedings,` the petition states, demanding that the prime minister `be summoned by this Commission and be directed to lay the complete information and evidences before the Commission qua the purchase of votes during the election of the Senate chairman.

The counsel for Mr Khan, Babar Awan, through a statement expressed the hope that the ECP would summon the prime minister to probe into the allegations.

As many political parties had accused one another of indulging in horse-trading, the ECP soon after the March 3 Senate election summoned eight politicians who had issued statements through media questioning the fairness of the exercise.

The ECP had issued notices to the PTI chairman, Minister of State for Information Marrylum Aurangzeb, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Af fairs Ameer Muqam, Dr Farooq Sattar and Khawaja Izharul Hassan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pak Sarzameen Party`s (PSP) Raza Haroon, a lawmaker from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Shahabuddin, and PML-N lawmaker from Punjab Uzma Bokhari.

Except for Mr Khan and Dr Sattar who had sent their representatives, all the recipients of the notice appeared before the ECP but failed to produce any evidence to prove the allegations about horse-trading and use of money in the Senate election.

While Dr Sattar submitted a list of six legislators who had allegedly sold their votes he did not provide any concrete proof to corroborate his allegation. The PTI had criticised the ECP move of summoning the politicians and expressing the concern that instead of holding investigations, the ECP had asked them to bring the evidence.

After failing to get any solid evidence, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza had asked the parliamentarians to help the ECP identify those who had indulged in horse-trading so that necessary action could be taken. `Selling and buying of votes is a crime. We want you to help us, the CEC had stated.