ISLAMABAD: Two members of the National Assembly belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Jamil Ahmed and Fahim Khan, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday.

The MNAs were allegedly involved in a sting operation to record a video in which Ali Haider Gilani, the son of Senator-elect Yousuf Raza Gilani, was seen telling PTI MNAs how to make a vote in the Senate election invalid by over-writing and ticking in front of the names of all candidates on the ballot paper.

Talking to media in Parliament House, the MNAs admitted that both of them were present in the video clip but they did not call it a sting operation.

They said that they were ready to appear before the Election Commission of Pakistan if summoned by it during the hearing of the case seeking disqualification of Yousuf Raza Gilani. The hearing of the case will be held on March 11.

Earlier, soon after obtaining vote of confidence from the National Assembly, Prime Minister Khan met a number of lawmakers of the ruling alliance in Parliament House.

PM asks Hafeez to continue as finance minister

The prime minister also met Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh who had faced an unexpected defeat in recent Senate elections on a seat from Islamabad won by Yousuf Raza Gilani.

An inside source said the prime minister asked Mr Shaikh not to be disappointed due to his defeat in the Senate polls and continue working as finance minister. This brought to an end rumours that the prime minister had decided to replace Mr Shaikh with an economic wizard from the PTI.

Earlier, under the Islamabad High Court’s decision, Mr Shaikh as an adviser to the prime minister could neither exercise executive powers not attend meetings of any government body. As a result, the prime minister appointed him federal minister for six months (till June 11) under a clause of the constitution.

The prime minister also met a delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and leaders of other allied parties and thanked them for giving him vote of confidence.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2021