The PTI has decided to form a coalition in Centre and Punjab with the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) as per the instructions of party founder Imran Khan, the party’s Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan announced on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Hasan relayed decisions that Imran, who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail over a variety of cases, made regarding the party’s course of action for government formation.
“We are going towards the formation of a government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We are also going to double our efforts for a government in the Centre and we will also look at what to do about the Punjab government.
“He (Imran) has approved [of a coalition] with two parties. We will form a coalition with the MWM in the Centre and Punjab and a coalition with the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) in KP for the reserved seats. These are his decisions and we will implement them, we have already begun work on them.”
Hasan said the PTI founder also sanctioned the name of the party’s KP president Ali Amin Gandapur to make the government in the province where the party has a three-fourth majority.
“He has also said that we have to continue our political struggle. He has singled out three parties — PML-N, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and PPP — but apart from them he has given me the mandate to initiate contact with all other political parties and sit down with them so we give birth to a coalition partnership which will struggle for democratic authority, not just authority.”
Hasan said that Amir Dogar was also reappointed as the party’s chief whip in the National Assembly (NA).
He said Imran also issued instructions for intra-party elections to be held as soon as possible, adding that he would try to carry out the task as soon as possible since he was responsible for it.
“As per our estimates, around 180 seats were PTI’s in the NA but whatever has come after reducing them is before you. The first precondition according to him (Imran) is that a government be allowed to form according to the mandate the nation has given and be allowed to continue because only this would make it possible to increase confidence and investment of overseas Pakistanis.”
The spokesperson claimed that around 65 seats were “stolen” from the party, demanding that they should be returned promptly.
“He (Imran) said that the power wielders at this time should think and take heed about what they’re doing. His message was that whoever has won the election has the right to form the government and should be given the right to do so,” Hasan added.
Meanwhile, JI Central Information Secretary Qaisar Sharif told Geo News that the two parties held talks soon after the elections and the JI had given an unconditional “positive response” to the PTI of “providing protection” to its independent candidates.
The JI representative said the PTI’s proposal for a coalition government in KP was discussed in a meeting in Islamabad today, adding that the JI did not give a final answer on the matter as of yet. However, he said, the JI will hold consultations and give a reply to the PTI.
