Pakistan: PTI strategises govt formation in Centre, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as party-backed candidates bag 101 seats

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party has set up special committees to strategise the formation of governments in the Central, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, according to a report. As reported by Dawn News on Monday, during a core committee meeting, participants agreed to expedite the nomination process for key government and parliamentary positions based on the recommendations and strategies put forth by these committees. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is devising a plan to establish its government in the Central, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions after independent candidates supported by the party secured 101 out of 266 National Assembly seats in the recently concluded 8 February elections, which were tainted by allegations of electoral fraud. PTI-supported candidates contested as independents due to the party’s loss of its election symbol, the ‘bat’, amid controversies surrounding its intra-party elections. The statement issued after the party’s core committee said specialised committees entrusted with the responsibility of devising strategies for government formation in these pivotal regions had been constituted. These committees are focused on accelerating the nomination process for crucial governmental and parliamentary roles, guided by their proposed recommendations and strategies, the report added. The PTI in the statement affirmed its commitment to prevent any unethical endeavours to hand over the cash-strapped country’s leadership to individuals with criminal backgrounds. The party maintained that the people bestowed upon the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan an “unparalleled certificate of patriotism, giving a “heavy mandate” to his party. Separately, PTI leaders held a meeting with President Dr Arif Alvi to brief him on the alleged irregularities during the elections. According to a statement issued by the president’s office, President Alvi during his meeting with PTI leaders Raoof Hassan and Umer Niazi was apprised of the party’s stance and reiterated that Form-45, issued in various constituencies, reflected the facts of the electoral outcomes. They emphasised that despite attempts to pressurise the party, snatching of electoral symbols, and numerous arrests, PTI emerged victorious against all odds. According to the party, the PTI was cruising with a lead of 170 National Assembly seats before the alleged rigging swung the pendulum in favour of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. Around 60 million, or approximately 47 per cent, of nearly 129 million voters cast their ballots last Thursday to elect a new government to bring cash-strapped Pakistan out of financial crunch. With inputs from agencies