PTI among five parties to from 'grand opposition alliance'

ISLAMABAD: Five major opposition parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held a meeting and discussed forming the ‘grand opposition alliance’ to give a ‘tough’ time to the government, ARY News reported.

Chairman PTI Gohar Ali Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch, and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Achackzai attended the meeting.

Majlis-e-Wadhat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) head Allama Nasir Abbas and Balochistan National Party (BNP) Chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub and Asad Qaiser were also present on the occasion.

Sources privy to the development said that matters related to the formation of the Grand Opposition Alliance’ were discussed in the meeting.

All these parties had earlier rejected the February 8 elections results and termed it ‘manipulated’.

The PTI has been mulling over forming a joint opposition alliance since after the general elections 2024 as the party held several meetings with other parties including the Moulana Fazal-ur-Rehman-led Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) having reservations on the polls.

Earlier on February 13, former prime minister and the PTI founder ruled out the possibility of talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for the formation of the government or joint opposition.

The PTI founder in his informal media talk in Adiala Jail—where he is incarcerated in Toshakhana, Cipher, and illegal nikah case— directed his party to hold talks with other parties.

Earlier in the day, PTI General Secretary leader Omar Ayub Khan was notified as Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) following the process of scrutiny.

The development followed after the nominated candidate for the opposition leader Omar Ayub, along with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and Aamer Dogar called on the NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq who assured them that a notification would be issued soon.