Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Monday claimed that it has garnered the support of enough members to form governments both in the Centre and Punjab.

The National Assembly has currently 328-330 members, out of which the PTI enjoys support of 168 members, including women and minority seats, party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry claimed. In the Punjab Assembly, the PTI spokesman claimed that the party has 180 seats to form a government. He said with the aid of the coalition partners, the PTI will install its own prime minister. On Balochistan, he said the PTI will form a coalition government, adding that the party has a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“PTI will nominate Punjab chief minister and the decision on name will be taken by Imran Khan,” Fawad said. “Members from our allied parties will be made part of the cabinet,” he added.

Later in the day, a delegation of PML-Q met PTI chief Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence. In the meeting, PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Asad Umar, Naeem-ul-Haq and others were present.

The PTI said that seven PML-Q members and one independent member announced support for the party in Punjab, bringing the tally to 149 members in the province.

According to a PTI press statement, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain ensured complete support to Imran Khan. The PML-Q has also rendered support to the PTI in the National Assembly.

PTI leader Jahangir Tareen is in Karachi to meet with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders to gain their support. The MQM-P is likely to announce support of four of its members to the PTI.

Separately, in a surprising move, the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has approached party dissident Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to seek his support to form government in Punjab.

Following the tightly-contested July 25 polls in Punjab, leaders of the embattled PML-N, which emerged as a major party in the province with 129 seats during the general election, have expedited efforts to woo the independent candidates.

A private TV channel claimed that some PML-N leaders have contacted Ch Nisar, who has assured his support to PML-N in forming government in the province.

Ch Nisar, who has been a member of the Lower House of parliament since 1985, contested elections as an independent candidate from two NA seats – NA-59 and NA-60 – and two provincial seats – PP-10 and PP-12. But he faced a surprising defeat from all seats except PP-10.

With 13 independent candidates that the party claims have pledged support to PML-N, it now needs the support of only four more independent candidates to reach the minimum count of 148 which is necessary to form government in Punjab.

Published in Daily Times, July 31^st 2018.