Amid uncertainties regarding the formation of future governments post the February 8 polls, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced plans to form a coalition with Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) in both the Centre and Punjab, following directives from its founder, Imran Khan.
PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan conveyed that Imran Khan has ruled out discussions with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). Instead, Khan has instructed the party to collaborate with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for reserved seats.
Hasan emphasized Khan's message, stating that the winning parties should be granted the opportunity to form the government, reiterating their right to do so.
Hasan also mentioned that he has been authorized by Khan to engage with all political parties, except PML-N, MQM-P, and PPP, to uphold democratic values through political struggle.
Furthermore, decisions endorsed by Khan include nominating Ali Amin Gandapur as the chief minister for KP, conducting intra-party elections, and appointing Amir Dogar as the party's chief whip in the National Assembly.
Given no party secured a simple majority, independent candidates hold significant importance. Both PML-N and PPP are seeking to enlist them to bolster their parliamentary standing.
The PTI's decision to align with MWM, despite the latter securing only one National Assembly seat, is strategic. PTI's sponsored candidates, who won 116 provincial assembly seats in Punjab, will have a window of 72 hours to join a party once their win is confirmed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In Punjab, PTI will need to collaborate with independent candidates and other parties to secure government formation. Currently, PML-N leads in Punjab with 137 seats.
Meanwhile, the partnership with JI primarily aims to secure the quota for reserved seats, as JI lost its election symbol "bat," prompting its candidates to run independently. These reserved seats are allocated based on each party's secured seats.
