The Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has started mulling over an option to join hands with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to form its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province after facing refusal from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
Despite expressing serious reservations over the 2024 election results, all parties accelerated efforts to search for allies and forge alliances to form their governments in the Centre and provinces in their strongholds on the basis of party positions as per the unofficial vote outcomes.
Upon the JI’s refusal, the former ruling party is mulling seeking JUI-F Emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s help in forming a coalition government in KP, Geo News reported citing sources.
The JUI-F, they said, had seats in the KP Assembly. "Maulana [Fazl] and the PTI are on the same page over reservations regarding elections."
In a meeting with the JUI-F a day ago, they said that Imran Khan’s message was conveyed to Fazl. On this occasion, the PTI sought the JUI-F’s vote for the prime minister’s candidate Omar Ayub.
The JI had on February 14 ruled out the possibility of forging an alliance with the PTI to form a government in the province.
JI's Central Naib Amir Liaqat Baloch, while speaking to Geo News, had said that his party had decided it would not join hands with the PTI as the latter had formed a coalition with another party at the federal level.
"There is no reason for us to form an alliance with PTI only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," said Baloch, adding that talks with the PTI were related to both governments — federal and provincial.
Meanwhile, the PTI and JUI-F have reportedly decided to go ahead with talks on forging an alliance. The sources said a committee would be formed for negotiations between the parties. The body would finalise recommendations pertaining to rigging in elections and future course of action, they added.
The sources said the PTI delegation had apprised Fazl about Form 45’s situation across the country. Fazl expressed reservations over the manipulation of PTI’s mandate, they maintained.
“The PTI delegation welcomed Maulana Fazl’s statements and pressers. The PTI delegation and JUI-F agreed to jointly carry out political struggle inside and outside of the parliament,” they said.
They said soon leaderships of both parties would meet and finalise the recommendations.
In KP, the Imran-founded party is in a position to form its government as the PTI-backed independent candidates won 84 seats in the February 8 polls.
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