Pakistan's incarcerated former prime minister, Imran Khan, saw his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party make a significant announcement on Friday. They declared their intention to take up seats in the Opposition in both the National Assembly and the Punjab Provincial Assembly.
The announcement came from Barrister Ali Saif, representing PTI, just a day following the party's nomination of Umar Ayub Khan for prime minister and Aslam Iqbal for Punjab's chief ministerial position.
Speaking to the press after a meeting with the Qaumi Watan Party in Islamabad, Saif explained that the decision to assume the opposition role was made in accordance with directives from party founder Imran Khan.
“We decided to sit in opposition despite the reality that if we received seats according to our votes and the results were not changed then maybe today we might have been in the Centre with 180 seats. Form 45 is the evidence that our candidates won,” Saif stated.
Whether the party will partake in the selection of the prime minister and Punjab chief minister following this decision remains uncertain.
The February 8 general polls yielded a fragmented mandate for Pakistan. Independent candidates supported by PTI secured 92 seats, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party secured 75 and 54 seats respectively.
Read Also | Independents Hold Key Role as Potential Kingmakers in Pakistan's Political Landscape
