Members of opposition parties raised alarm in both houses of parliament on Thursday, claiming harassment and bribery tactics against lawmakers ahead of a controversial constitutional amendment bill aimed at overhauling the judiciary. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that its members were being offered sums of up to Rs3 billion in exchange for support of the government’s amendment proposal, which is currently under review by a special parliamentary committee.
Speaking during sessions in the National Assembly and Senate, PTI members recounted instances where they and their families were allegedly intimidated by law enforcement and intelligence officials. National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan condemned the actions, accusing the government of attempting to push the bill through coercion.
“Signs of ‘democracy for sale’ or ‘loot sale’ should be put up outside [parliament],” Ayub remarked, quoting PTI MNA Junaid Akbar Khan, who claimed he had been offered Rs1 billion for his vote. Asad Qaiser, another PTI member, reinforced these allegations, stating that bribes ranging from Rs1 billion to Rs3 billion were being dangled before members.
PTI lawmakers demanded an end to what they described as a government-led “crackdown” and called for the release of seven PTI members they claimed had been “abducted” to force their support for the bill. Qaiser warned that these tactics were especially concerning given the current instability in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar rejected the opposition’s claims, accusing the PTI of orchestrating a “false narrative” and allegedly kidnapping its own members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to undermine the process. Tarar cautioned that “no political party is bigger than Pakistan” and urged the opposition to refrain from making baseless allegations.
In the Senate, similar concerns were raised, with Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan highlighting the alleged mistreatment of a woman senator who was reportedly confined to her apartment under police siege. Other senators, including BNP-M’s Naseema Ehsan, expressed frustration over the alleged harassment, while PML-N’s Irfan Siddiqui called for an investigation into the allegations.