LAHORE: Political lobbying continues to form the governments in Punjab and the centre. The leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been busy holding meetings with the allied parties and independents in a bid to acquire the necessary numbers to form provincial and federal governments.
In Punjab, PTI leader Jahangir Tareen claimed that his party has the support of 18 independents, adding that four out of 30 independents had won on more than one provincial assembly seat. With the independents, its own MPA elects and seven from the PML-Q, the PTI’s total tally stands at 148 members.
However, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, whose party gained 129 seats in the provincial assembly, says they have enough MPAs, including independents, to form a government and are not revealing their identities on purpose.
The PTI leadership has reportedly decided to bring Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader and former provincial chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the speaker of the Punjab Assembly.
That the PTI leadership agreed to the suggestion as it wants to bring a strong candidate at the position since it leads against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with a slight margin in the provincial assembly.
According to official, however, if the PML-Q leader agrees, he will have to give up his two National Assembly seats which will bring down the PTI’s total count and dent its efforts to form a government in the centre
PML-Q stands with PTI
On Monday, a delegation of PML-Q met PTI chief Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence in the federal capital.
In the meeting, PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Asad Umar, Naeem-ul-Haq and others were also present.
The PTI said that seven PML-Q members and one independent expressed support to the party in Punjab. According to a PTI press statement, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain ensured complete support to Imran.
The PML-Q has also rendered support to the PTI in the National Assembly.
Tallal Chaudry criticises PTI’s decision
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tallal Chaudry critcised on Tuesday the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) reported decision to bring PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi as its candidate for the slot of Punjab Assembly speaker.
He was addressing the media in Islamabad.
With regards to the PML-N’s claims of electoral rigging in the July 25 General Election, Chaudry said he only seeks CCTV footage of the office of the returning officer in his Faisalabad constituency of NA-102, which he lost to the PTI candidate.
