Jamat-e-Islami responds to PTI’s offer for coalition in KP

Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Central Information Secretary Qaisar Sharif on Tuesday said that the party did not give a final answer to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) proposal for a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), ARY News reported.

Talking to ARY News exclusively, Qaisar Sharif said that PTI leaders Gohar Ali Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur and Azam Swati have contacted Jamat-e-Islami and tabled a proposal for a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“JI did not give a final answer on the matter as of yet while no TORs [terms of references] have been constituted,” he said, adding that the party would hold consultations and then give a reply to the PTI.

He noted that the two parties were in talks soon after the elections and the JI had given an unconditional positive response to the PTI of “providing protection” to independent candidates.

Earlier in the day, PTI, upon directions of its founder Imran Khan, announced to join hands with Majlis-e-Wahdat-Muslimeen (MWM) to form its governments in Centre and Punjab and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Speaking to the media, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan said that the former prime minister, while ruling 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), has directed the party to form a coalition with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over reserved seats.

“Those who have emerged victorious in the [February 8] polls, should be allowed to form the government as it is their right [do do so], he said while conveying Khan’s message.

“I have been given the mandate [by Khan] to approach all political parties to continue the party’s political struggle for democratic values with the exception of the PML-N, MQM-P and the PPP,” Hasan added.

Voting took place on 51 seats of the Balochistan Assembly, 128 out of 130 seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 296 out of 297 seats of the Punjab Assembly, and 130 seats of the Sindh Assembly.

PTI-backed Independent candidates consolidated their lead in the general elections 2024 over mainstream political parties, especially in the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies, throughout the result announcement process.

According to the results announced so far, independent candidates have managed to win 101 seats. It is worth mentioning that out of these 101 independent candidates, 92 are supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf while nine are general independent candidates.

PML-N is in the second position with 75 seats, while the PPP has won 54 seats. The MQM-P won in 17 constituencies, JUI-F in four, PML-Q in three, while IPP and BNP won two seats each.