PTI decides to ally with Sunni Ittehad Council

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), whose candidates contested the February 8 general elections ‘independently’, has decided to form an alliance with Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for reserved seats, ARY News reported on Sunday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that PTI independent members will join the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) – a religio-political party, after submitting affidavits.

Earlier, the PTI announced to form a coalition in Centre and Punjab with the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) – a move that faced backlash by some party members.

“Imran Khan approved of a coalition with two parties. We will form a coalition with the MWM in the Centre and Punjab and a coalition with the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) in KP for the reserved seats,” party’s Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan had said.

However today, sources claimed that the PTI decided to forge alliance with Sunni Ittehad Council in Centre and Punjab. SIC president Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who PTI backed, also emerge victorious in the elections.

Meanwhile, Sahibzada Hamid Raza had reached Islamabad to meet PTI founder Imran Khan – who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail.

Speaking to ARY News exclusively, Raza said matters have been settled for an alliance with PTI in Punjab and Sindh. “We are also ready to ally Centre, KP and Balochistan,” he added.

Uncertainty looms over Pakistan’s political future as none of the major political parties – PML-N, PPP, or the PTI-backed independent candidates – secured a simple majority in the National Assembly in the February 8 general elections.

Political stakeholders were making efforts to forge alliances and secure 169 seats in the 336-member lower house of parliament.

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, and PML-Q in three, while IPP and BNP won two seats each.