Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf discusses possibility of its backed candidates joining Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen
Feb 16, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], February 16 : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) legal team is deliberating on the possibility of its backed candidates joining Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), as reported by Geo News.
They further discussed how much the decision would lead the party to get parliamentary benefits.
The party members shared that consultations are still ongoing as many ifs and buts are involved.
"This has never been done in the country's political history; perhaps, therefore, extreme caution is being exercised before arriving at a major political decision," they said.
Moreover, the PTI and MWM have been allies for years but the recent suggestion has put both sides in an entirely different proposition, Geo News reported.
As per the party sources, the legal team's recommendations will be presented before the PTI core committee for a final decision.
They further said that the PTI will be putting its identity at stake, adding that this is of utmost importance as it needs to be understood how much it will gain in terms of reserved seats which indeed would be MWM seats.
The MWM has never enjoyed a significant presence in parliament, they added, as reported by Geo News.
"The real question before us is also what exactly the price of meeting the legal requirement to qualify for women's reserved seats will be," a senior PTI lawyer said.
Accordingly, it is understood that the list of women candidates for reserved seats must have been very short; therefore, against PTI-backed over 93 returned candidates, the due share might not be available accordingly.
According to the parliamentary sources, it would be interesting to see how the Election Commission of Pakistan will react to the possible new scenario in view of the Elections Act, 2017.
"We have no problem. It will be great if our platform becomes a PTI platform to take forward a leap for failing the moves of political opponents," said a senior MWM member.
Last week, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, announced the party's intent to govern in the centre, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He further hinted at an alliance with MWM to secure reserved seats.
Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan said that the former prime minister while ruling out the prospects of any talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), has directed the party to form a coalition with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over reserved seats, as reported by Geo News.
"Those who have emerged victorious in the (February 8) polls, should be allowed to form the government as it is their right (do do so), he said while conveying Khan's message.
"I have been given the mandate (by Khan) to approach all political parties to continue the party's political struggle for democratic values with the exception of the PML-N, MQM-P and the PPP," Hasan added.
His remarks came as PTI-backed candidates have emerged as the largest group by winning over 90 National Assembly seats followed by the PML-N and PPP with 75 and 54 seats, respectively.