TIMERGARA: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq said on Sunday that the Election Commission of Pakistan had failed to fulfil its responsibilities during the recent Senate elections and urged the Supreme Court chief justice to take suo motu notice of the alleged bargaining and horsetrading in the Senate polls.

He was addressing a party gathering at Ahyaul Uloom Balambat on completion of `Khatme Bukhari Sharif` and later talking to mediapersons.

Senator Haq said that his party would support Mian Raza Rabbani if Pakistan Peoples Party nominated him for the Senate chairman slot.

He said the widespread talk about the horse-trading in Senate elections had degraded the upper house of the parliament.

`The Chief Justice of Pakistan should call the newlyelected senators and leaders of political parties to submit an af fidavit to the Supreme Court that they were not involved in horse-trading,` the JI chief said, adding it was the right time to uncover the elements involved in disgracing the Senate.

He said that leaders of various political parties had been admitting that their members were sold.

About the defeat of Maulana Samiul Haq, the JI chief said he was shocked to hear about his result. `It is only the JI members who can`t be bought,` he said and claimed that members of his party had turned down offers of millions of rupees.

Senator Haq said that religious seminaries, their students, ulema and turbans were being defamed under a planned conspiracy. He said that Muslims should be proud of their culture and civilisation. He asked his party workers to wear turbans as it was the dress symbol of Muslims.

He also administered oath to the new office-bearers of the JI youth, Balambat. About the MMA, he said that important decisions under it would be taken in a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday (today).

PTI MEMBERSHIP: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Rabat chapter, kicked off its membership drive during a function here on Sunday.

The party activists Said Alam Shah, Azam Khan and Subaktagin Khan spoke on the occasion. They claimed that JI had disappointed the people and PTI would win majority of seats in the district in the next general election.