Imran’s swearing-in before Aug 14
Results show PTI chief bags 116 seats, needs 22 more to form govt
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan will be sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan before August 14, a party leader said on Saturday.
PTI leader Naeem-ul-Haq was quoted by Geo News saying that mainstream political parties agreed to attend the oath-taking ceremony. Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain would call for an assembly session, and the Election Commission (EC) would soon administer the oath to the newly-elected representatives, Naeem-ulHaq was quoted.
While asserting PTI would form the government at the Centre, he claimed the party would form government in Punjab province also. He said, “Imran Khan is working day in and day out. We are in constant touch with Independents. By tomorrow evening, the nation will hear the good news.”
Meanwhile, four Independents joined PTI, as the latter is staking claim to form the government in Punjab and is locked in a political battle with PML-N. In Punjab Assembly, PML-N bagged 127 seats, while PTI is not far behind and is second with 123 seats, as per the ECP’s results of total 295 total seats, as per the report.
Haq underscored that Pakistan’s economy was in a critical situation and all had to stand for the country to promote unity. He refuted allegations that there were tussles between senior PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
About disgruntled PML-N leader and former Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar would join PTI, he said he is welcome to partyfold.
The PTI emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats, after the ECP on Saturday released the complete preliminary results for 270 of 272 National Assembly (NA) constituencies. EC completed the process after almost three days when the general elections were held.
PML-N, which won 64 seats came second. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) bagged 43 seats and finished third.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), an alliance of various religious parties in Pakistan, garnered 12 seats while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP) won six seats. The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)
won four seats each whereas Balochistan National Party (BNP) bagged three seats.
Other parties—Awami National Party, Awami Muslim League, Jamhoori Wattan Party and Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaniyat have garnered one seat each. Also, Independents won 12 NA constituencies. They are likely to play a crucial role in government formation.