Imran’s PTI-backed Independents set to join Sunni Ittehad Council

Tariq Butt, Correspondent / Agencies

Pakistani politicians loyal to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan will forge an alliance with a little-known political group, his party said on Monday, after polls marred by allegations of manipulation returned no clear winner.

Candidates backed by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the most seats in this month's election but were effectively sidelined because they were forced to stand as independents.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to secure a ruling majority but has forged a partnership with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a handful of smaller parties to form the next government.

However, PTI still hopes to seek a majority by having its candidates join the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a registered political party whose chairman was the only one from the alliance of Islamic political and religious parties group to win a seat.

"We have reached a consensus that our provincial and national assembly candidates will join Sunni Ittehad Council," PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan told a news conference.

Gohar said at a news briefing the decision to join the minority party was so that the PTI, which was barred from contesting the election, could access reserved seats in the National Assembly (NA), lower house of the parliament.

Parties are allocated 70 reserved seats — 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims — in proportion to the number of seats won. This completes the National Assembly's total 336 seats. Independents are not eligible for reserved seats.

During the press conference, the leader for the Sunni Ittehad Council said it had signed a memorandum with the PTI and all direction would come from the PTI and jailed leader Imran Khan.

Successful PTI-backed candidates will send their applications to join the SIC this week to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which must approve the alliance.

If the commission signs off on them, the alliance could then be entitled to seats reserved for women and religious minorities that are allocated according to election results.

"After this alliance, PTI will be in a position to form a government in the provinces as well as in the Centre," Omar Ayub Khan, PTI's candidate for prime minister, told the news conference, referring to the National Assembly.

Also during the day, caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would forward a summary to President Dr Arif Alvi to convene the NA after the ECP issues the list of elected candidates.

According to the Constitution, the president is bound to convene the session after the official announcement of election results or issuance of its notification within 21 days.

Solangi told reporters that an investigation committee had been formed to probe the allegations by the former Rawalpindi commissioner and the ECP was taking action on the matter. "We should trust our institutions and system.”

The minister added that the caretaker government has fulfilled its responsibility by holding the general elections.