Pakistani legislator in hot water after saying he ‘urinates on votes’

Sindh provincial assembly Speaker and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lawmaker Agha Siraj Durrani is in trouble after derogatory remarks against voting.

A petition was filed in the Sindh high court seeking his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution after he said that he doesn't need to have relations with those who vote for him, and that he "urinates" on votes.

"Maan vote jo wasto na rakhando ahyan. Maan muttaan vote khe. Maan muttando ahyan vote khe (I don't maintain relations with people for the sake of votes. I urinate on votes. I urinate on the vote)," Durrani said in Sindhi in a video that went viral on social media.

The Hyderabad circuit bench on Tuesday issued notices to Durrani and co-defendants, including Sindh's governor and chief minister, the Election Commission chairman and the PPP chairperson.

The petitioners said the video had hurt Pakistan and demotivated people from participating in the electoral process. They argued that the attitude of the elected representatives is one of the reasons why voters do not turn up for general elections.

They compared the voters' turnout in India and Bangladesh with that of Pakistan to contend that the voting in the country has remained lower due to various reasons, including the attitude of officials.

The petition also mentions an alleged telephone conversation between Durrani and a journalist, in which the Speaker is heard threatening the scribe with "consequences" for a report on the video.