The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has officially announced a “formal agreement” with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in the Parliament, with documentation set to be submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today.
The alliance was announced by PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan in a press briefing along with other party leaders including Raoof Hasan and Omar Ayub Khan as well as SICS Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Majlis Wahadat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Secretary General Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
He told the media that the PTI backed candidates had submitted their affidavits with the party leadership in this regard.
According to him, there were 70 reserved seats in the National Assembly and 227 in the entire country, exclusively designated for political parties.
The agreement aimed to protect these reserved seats and provide cover for party members, who have now joined the SIC, he added.
A formal request would also be filed with the ECP regarding the allocation of reserved seats based on party strength and the law, he said, adding the PTI had secured 180 National Assembly seats, with independent candidates contesting on PTI tickets and receiving party support.
Omar Ayub, a candidate of the PTI for PM, emphasized the desire for national unity and stated that party-backed candidates were joining the SIC in both the Centre and provinces.
He believed this alliance would strengthen the PTI’s position in the National Assembly, leveraging the quota of reserved seats belonging to political parties.
Ayub addresses allegations of rigging and asserts that party-supported candidates should be recognized as “returned candidates.”
He also accuses the MQM-P of stealing the PTI’s mandate in certain regions.
Ayub pledged that, upon joining the SIC, the PTI’s first priority would be securing the release of key leaders.
Hafiz Raza of the SIC said the longstanding alliance with the PTI was spanned over nearly eight years.
He clarified that the decision to align with the SIC was not unilateral but approved by the PTI leadership, including Imran Khan.
