PTI to form govt with MWM in Centre, Punjab: spokesperson

PTI to form govt with MWM in Centre, Punjab: spokesperson

Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday announced that it will form government in Centre and Punjab by joining hands with Majlis-e-Wahdat-Muslimeen (MWM).

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, party’s spokesperson Raoof Hasan said that PTI founder Imran Khan ruled out the prospects of any talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

He added that Imran Khan has directed the party to form a coalition with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over reserved seats.

It is pertinent to mention that the PTI-backed independent candidates currently hold more than 90 seats in the National Assembly (NA), followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 54, out of a total of 266 seats in the lower house. After including the 70 reserved seats, the total will reach 336 seats.

For a simple majority, a party needs to have at least 169 seats in the National Assembly.

The PTI-backed candidates after joining the MWM, can get reserve seats as proportionate to their total number of seats in the NA and if it happens, then they can get more than 20 seats.

To bag the reserve seats after joining the MWM, the PTI-backed candidates will have to submit affidavits to the ECP stating that they were joining the MWM.

Subsequently, the MWM chief will have to give in writing to the ECP that he has accepted the independent candidates.

Separately, Barrister Ali Zafar on Tuesday said the PTI would hold its intra-party elections within a week or 10 days.

Speaking to newsmen outside Adiala Jail, he said that the process for holding the intra-party elections is underway.

“Khan sahib told us to speed up the process,” the PTI leader said.

Responding to a question, Zafar said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have to “accept the intra-party elections”.