PTI demands ‘constitutional right’ to form govts in Centre, Punjab and KP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday demanded its ‘constitutional right’ to form governments in Centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) due to public mandate given to Imran Khan-led party in general elections 2024, ARY News reported.

Taking to Twitter, PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the country’s future was linked with ‘complete supremacy’ of the Constitution. “The country always engulfed in crisis whenever it derailed from Constitution,” he added.

He pointed out Imran Khan-led party emerged single largest party in the elections despite the challenges it faced, which included the “snatching” of iconic symbol bat. “We weren’t allowed to conduct an election campaign,” he regretted.

“Daylight robbery of public mandate is a desecration of votes,” he said, stressing the need for political stability and put Pakistan on the path of development.

Barrister Gohar also demanded the election commission issue election results in sync with Form-45. “The seats that are robbed should be returned to PTI,” he said, adding that his party would fulfill the responsibility of safeguarding the public mandate.

The presser came after PML-N and PPP reached an agreement on forming a government in Centre as both parties have agreed on a ‘power-sharing formula’ following days of negotiations.

“PPP and PML-N have achieved the required number and [now] we are in a position to form the government in Centre,” PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said while addressing a joint press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad.

Bilawal Bhutto pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed candidates and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) failed to achieve a simple majority to form government in the Centre.

He said that that both parties are going to form the coalition government and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif will once again be the country’s prime minister, praying that they would succeed in solving the problems of Pakistan.

Elections 2024

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 Pakistan 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, PTI-backed independent candidates have managed to win 92 seats. PML-N is in the second position with 79 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.

Following the general elections, both the PML-N and PPP had formed committees to decide the terms and conditions for the next federal government.

Initially, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto was eyeing the slot of the prime minister but later pull out himself of the race. He had unequivocally announced that his father, PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, should be given the coveted slot of the country’s president.

Although the PML-N candidate for PM slot was Nawaz Sharif, the party later changed its mind. It later nominated its president and Nawaz’s younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, for the premier’s position to lead a new alliance.