ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Gohar Khan Monday announced that independent candidates backed by the party will officially join the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in the National Assembly (NA) as well as in provinces including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The development comes a day after PTI's senior leaders, Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, along with SIC head Sahibzada Hamid Raza, visited the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Central Secretariat in Islamabad and held discussions on prospects of closer cooperation in parliament and at the provincial level. MWM Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, Vice Chairman Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi, and others were also present.

The meeting discussed the country's political situation and important issues in the wake of recently held elections and their outcome.

The party, which could not directly take part in elections due to the non-allotment of electoral symbol, wants its share of reserved seats for women and minorities by using the platform of other like-minded parties.  Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad today, Barrister Gohar said the PTI-backed independent candidates are required to join any party within three days following the issuance of notification under the law.

He said the decision to join SIC has been taken with consensus and demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to allot the PTI reserved seats in line with the law. During the presser, the PTI leader also reiterated the rigging allegation claiming that his party had won 180 NA seats in the February 8 polls.  However, as per the result issued by the ECP, the PTI-backed candidates have won as many as 92 seats in the National Assembly.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI's PM candidate Omar Ayub asserted that his party will form the government in the Centre. "Our first task will be to ensure the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi [after forming the government]."

SIC chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza told the media that the decision to forge an alliance with the PTI has been taken with the permission of incarcerated former PM Imran Khan. He said his party does not believe in the politics of hatred. "All sects are standing with the PTI," he added.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 20 2024

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