Although losing one of two seats of Islamabad from PDM, the leaked video and audio videos apparently vindicated PTI’s stance against the secret ballot.
Leaked Video Saga
The leaked video and audio clips involving members of parties constituting the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) sent the opposition’s mantra out on a limb. The ruling party aggressively pursued the case to conduct senate elections through an open ballot to eradicate corruption.
The President of Pakistan also promulgated an ordinance for the conduction of polls through the show of hands.
However, the Supreme Court (SC) opined against it and the PDM, which had opposed the ordinance in the apex court, took a sigh of relief.
But, after the media clips stormed the internet, PTI leaders long-winded that the yearning for a change in the voting method was to avoid horse-trading and purchasing of consciences.
اللّٰہ الحق ہے۔ وزیرِاعظم عمران خان پر ووٹ چوری کا الزام لگانے والے آج خود ووٹ پر ڈاکا ڈالتے ہوۓ سامنے آگۓ۔ #ہار_چور_ووٹ_چور pic.twitter.com/CllT7dGbOA
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 2, 2021
It has overall damaged ‘Vote Ko Izzat Do’ (give respect to vote) narrative of PDM and the basis of the entire campaign it ran against the government for months.
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Federal Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry and other party spokespersons lambasted the opposition after the video made rounds on social media and said it vindicated their stance in favor of senate polls through show-of-hands.
Besides the harm to PDM’s reputation, the future of the movement has become ambivalent as PTI’s stance against secret ballot has been justified after leaked videos.