Islamabad: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Party is meeting here on Monday at Imran Khan’s Banigala residence to formally nominate him as the party’s candidate for prime minister.
According to party spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry, Khan on Saturday summoned the parliamentary meeting of the party, as the Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to issue official and ‘verified’ list of winning Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) anytime.
Once the notification is issued, Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (Retd) Nasirul Mulk will send a summary to the President to convene the Assembly’s session.
According to sources, the PTI has also invited those independent MNAs who have already been approached and have announced their support for the part.
MNAs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and other allied parties from Balochistan and Sindh are also in contact and may be invited to attend the meeting, said the sources.
Regarding the PTI’s choice for the offices of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief ministers, the party spokesman said though the matter is not on the agenda in Monday’s meeting, a final decision in this regard will be taken in a couple of days and Khan would make public the party’s names for the top two slots in these provinces.
With regard to number game in the Parliament, he said PTI with support of the independents, PML-Q MNA-elect, MQM members, BAP, GDA and other parties was confident of reaching 180, which is the threshold required to form a government at the Centre.
Out of 342 members in the Lower House of the Parliament (National Assembly), Chaudhry said around 10 seats would be vacated by candidates who have been successful from various constituencies, while election has been postponed on two seats as well.
To a question on how the party could claim the threshold of 180 seats, he said the number will be secured with the help of independents (nine seats), MQM-Pakistan (six seats), PML-Q (four seats), the Balochistan Awami Party (two seats) and the Grand Democratic Alliance (two seats).
The PML-Q has already declared its support to PTI after striking a “formula” with the party chairman and his team, according to that it will be given ministries at the centre and Speaker’s post in Punjab Assembly.
MQM too has agreed on a formula, according to that it will be accommodated in the federal cabinet and in Senate as well.
In general elections, PTI had taken the decisive lead by winning 116 seats against former PML-N (64 seats) and PPP (43 seats). Besides these three major parties, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) won 13 seats, MQM, six, PML-Q and BAP four seats each, BNP, GDA two seats each, AML, ANP, Jamhoori Wattan Party (JWP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaniat one seat each.
