Daily Times

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Wednesday refused to cooperate with the PTI on the matter of forming a government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

A rift has surfaced within the JI over the prospect of PTI joining hands with the party to form the provincial government. Central Deputy Amir Liaquat Baloch had confirmed ongoing discussions with the PTI, revealing that the Imran-led party had signalled a willingness to collaborate for government formation.

However, JI spokesperson Qaiser Sharif said the party’s “cooperation with the PTI at the national level will be fornational interest, but PTI has now changed their position”.

“Jamaat will be happy with whoever the PTI allies with in K-P,” said Qaiser. Baloch, speaking to the media, backed Qaiser’s stance stating that “there was talk of adjustment with the PTI at the national and provincial levels, not only in one province”.

According to JI’s statement, following the February 8 elections, the PTI contacted JI seeking a common strategy for government formation.

It added that the JI chief immediately consulted with the central leadership, and officials and established a committee consisting of party’s K-P chief Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim and Deputy Amir Inayatullah Khan under the leadership of Liaquat Baloch.

Baloch said the committee members contacted PTI’s Barrister Gohar Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Umar Ayub Khan and Azam Swati, and exchanged views on the poll results.

The statement added that the party informed the PTI of their concerns over the elections, stating that deliberately changing the poll results was a disgrace which would harm the country and democracy. The party further said that it welcomes PTI-backed candidates who emerged victorious in the polls and offers them constitutional and parliamentary security and respect for the public’s mandate at this difficult time for the party.

The party in its statement clarified that the PTI informed them of its desire to form a government only in K-P at the last stage of the inter-party discussions, after which the JI sought time for consulting its own leadership. “If PTI requires JI’s support to safeguard its independent candidates, we are open to the move and welcome the opportunity,” Baloch said.