LAHORE: During a press conference in Lahore, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) released payments to parliamentarians prior to Senate elections ─ an act that could be evidence of horse trading.

He went on to say that the elections showed that the PPP was the country’s largest political party. According to him, ten PML-N representatives engaged in horse-trading to ensure that the PPP fails to perform well in the Senate election.

Wattoo believes that both the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Senate will be members of the People’s Party because of the support from various political parties including Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

Read more: Senate polls: Unofficial results emerging

In reply to a question, he opined that he feels pity for Imran Khan and his politics. In his opinion, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman has left the floor open for the PML-N to take over.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Information Minister Pervez Rashid was vilifying the PTI chairman Imran Khan saying “Imran Khan boycotts everything in which he fails or suffers defeat. It isn't his fault ─ he just doesn’t know how to run a country.”

“Imran should focus on his own party rather than the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif. This way, he might be avert defeats at every front,” he added.

Pervez Rashid was also quick to point out “Imran claims he doesn’t believe in the National Assembly but has made a long stay in Peshawar for Senate. Whatever claims he has made, none of it has come true.”

Addressing the press in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imran Khan claimed that his party members were offered millions which they refused. He congratulated Pervaiz Khattak on conducting fair and free Senate elections.

The PTI chairman stated “We will not vote for either PML-N or PPP in the coming vote for Senate chairmanship as both these parties are corrupt. They have made politics a business enterprise.”

He also mentioned that Asif Ali Zardari had spent millions of rupees buying four seats in KP and asked how an independent representative won a Senate poll from Balochistan.

Read more: Senate election and its set of controversies

The PML-N remained divided into two factions after the controversial senate polls. Speaker Balochistan Assembly, Jan Mohammad Jamali, remained dissident from the leadership of the ruling party. “Whoever wants to bring no-confidence vote against me is free to do so,” he challenged. "My daughter has received votes from 15 members."