PTI senior leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced on Thursday that Omar Ayub Khan would be the party’s candidate for the office of Prime Minister, with Mian Aslam Iqbal being nominated for the position of Punjab Chief Minister.
Addressing media representatives after extensive discussions with the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, Gohar expressed confidence in Omar Ayub's candidacy for prime minister, affirming his commitment to remain in office until Imran Khan's release.
Gohar criticized the allocation of power, alleging that despite PTI's presence in all provinces and holding a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, they were being sidelined in favor of a party with minimal credibility and only 20 seats. He emphasized that such a mandate would not be accepted by the people.
Regarding offers to form a coalition government with other parties like PPP, PMLN, or MQM, Gohar clarified that PTI, as per Imran Khan's directives, would not engage in power-sharing arrangements. He reiterated Imran Khan's message that PTI's politics were centered around serving the people rather than pursuing power. Gohar emphasized PTI's commitment to democracy, mandate, and the rule of law, contrasting it with others' self-serving political agendas.
"No one believes in power sharing with them (rivals). We are in a position to form government soon in the Centre, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and have requested the judiciary and Election Commission to decide on 70 constituencies as soon as possible," he noted.
Announcing the names for chief ministerial slots, Gohar said, "Our chief ministerial candidate in Punjab will be Mian Aslam, and Salar Sahib will be our chief ministerial candidate in Balochistan." Likewise, he added, only the speaker has been decided in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Imran Khan has nominated Aqibullah for the speaker’s slot.
Gohar said his party had announced a peaceful protest against the alleged rigging and invited all parties, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami, and GDA, to participate in it on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat said, "We have placed the whole situation before Imran Khan, and Khan Sahib is clear that we cannot share power with PMLN and PPP under any circumstances."
He stated that PTI would display Form-45 of all party-backed candidates who were deprived of their victory, and Salman Akram Raja would deliver a presentation on this matter to both local and international media at a nearby hotel.
Additionally, senior party leader Asad Qaiser conversed with reporters outside the jail alongside Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif.
Asad asserted that the February 8 elections were the most dubious with no credibility, and nobody was willing to accept their legitimacy. He accused that his party's mandate had been stolen, prompting nationwide protests, and he intended to engage with various parties regarding this matter.
Barrister Saif mentioned that Asad's brother, Aqibullah, who won a provincial seat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Swabi, was nominated by Imran for the position of speaker.
He conveyed a message from the party's founder aimed at the United States, urging it to rectify its past mistakes and support democracy. Saif quoted Imran as saying, "The US has historically aligned with dictators and supported corrupt individuals. It's time for them to emphasize recent elections in Pakistan in their statements."
Balochistan Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai alleged on Thursday that PTI was attempting to create controversy surrounding the February 8 general elections.
Achakzai stated that there was no individual named Salar in the assembly, adding that the nomination of Salar indicated PTI's lack of knowledge.
However, contradicting Achakzai's assertion, Salar Kakar mentioned that PTI founder chairman Imran Khan had entrusted him and nominated him for consultations regarding the election of chief minister. Salar stated, "We had won five seats in the provincial assembly, but we were declared losers. We are now moving to court and will, God willing, prevail."
In a related development, the Awami National Party (ANP) declined PTI's offer for talks and declared that it had already announced a protest against the alleged 'rigging' in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a statement, ANP Secretary General Mian Iftikhar Hussain stated that PTI leader Asad Qaiser had reached out to them for discussions on the political situation in the country. However, ANP rejected the offer, citing that the majority of PTI-backed candidates were elected through rigging, while candidates from ANP and other political parties were defeated as part of a pre-planned conspiracy.
"The ANP recognizes that engaging in negotiations with PTI would not be advantageous at this moment, given that the party has already initiated a protest movement against the alleged rigging and manipulation of results in the February 8 polls," the statement quoted the ANP leader as saying.
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