PTI Independents Will Join SIC

PTI Independents Will Join SIC. In an effort to secure reserved seats for women and minorities, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) declared on Monday that successful candidates supported by the party in the Feb 8 elections would align with the minority Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) not only in the National Assembly but also in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

During a press conference, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan, PTI secretary general Omar Ayub, along with Sunni Ittehad Council chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Majlis Wahdat ul Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, conveyed that discussions had taken place regarding the potential collaboration in parliamentary and provincial matters.

Due to the non-allotment of an electoral symbol, the PTI, unable to directly participate in the elections, aims to secure its portion of reserved seats for women and minorities by leveraging the platforms of like-minded parties.

Barrister Gohar emphasized that PTI-backed independent candidates are mandated to join a party within three days of the notification issuance under the law. He officially announced that their independent candidates would join the SIC in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to assert their entitlement to reserved seats.

Gohar clarified that the decision to align with the Sunni Ittehad Council was made through consensus and urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to allocate PTI’s reserved seats in accordance with the law. The PTI plans to submit affidavits from the candidates to the ECP, officially applying for their share of reserved seats after the candidates join the SIC.

Highlighting the alleged rigging in the February 8 polls, Gohar reiterated that the PTI would form the government at the national and provincial levels. He also stressed the party’s commitment to work for the release of its leadership and workers.

Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council stated that the decision to form an alliance with PTI received approval from the incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan. Raza emphasized their alliance’s unconditional nature, with all decisions to be made by PTI.

Omar Ayub, PTI’s PM candidate, asserted that their party would form the central government, prioritizing the release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. He explained that the decision to join the SIC was aimed at increasing PTI’s strength in the National Assembly.

Later in the day, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Pakistan (JUI-P) announced its alliance with PTI for political stability. Maulana Gul Nasib Khan of JUI-P expressed gratitude to PTI for taking them into confidence and opting for an alliance. The PTI affirmed its ongoing contacts with the Grand Democratic Alliance and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party for potential alliances, emphasizing the need for decisions to be made in accordance with the law and the Constitution. Asad Qaiser of PTI expressed confidence in their victory in the public mandate and asserted that any other government would be deemed fake, unable to address Pakistan’s challenges. He also expressed hope that the PTI’s concerns would be addressed in the courts.

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