Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser anticipates that conditions for the embattled party will improve and believes they may be in a position to form a government by December after securing the necessary “magic number” to oust the current rulers.
“I hope the situation for the party will improve by December and that we will secure enough seats in the National Assembly to form a government,” Qaiser said during an appearance on a program.
Qaiser mentioned that the PTI is considering a “no-confidence motion” against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once they achieve the required strength in the lower house of parliament. “Right now, our numbers in the lower house are not sufficient,” he said. “After achieving the necessary number, we might move towards a no-trust vote against the incumbent premier.”
He further stated, “After coming into power, we will review our numbers and seek a fresh mandate afterwards.”
Regarding the reserved seats’ verdict, the former National Assembly speaker accused the current government of making every effort to prevent the allocation of reserved seats to the former ruling party. However, he expressed optimism that the judiciary would expedite the party’s petitions against the alleged manipulation of the February 8 election results.
Qaiser said the party is looking to the judiciary for early rulings on the petitions for its “successful candidates who won the election on the basis of Form 45”. He added that verdicts from the election tribunals would also increase the strength of PTI lawmakers in the assemblies.
He expressed hope that by December this year, PTI might be in a position to form its government at the Center.
Qaiser blamed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for the ongoing political turmoil. He emphasized that free and fair elections are the only solution to the country’s crisis.
Commenting on the ongoing hunger strike, Qaiser said his party “will continue to register its protests within constitutional limits and is communicating its narrative to the masses.” He added, “Hunger strikes help us promote our point of view. It is a very effective way globally to register protests. We plan to organize more protests and rallies in the coming days.”
The embattled PTI initiated a daily hunger strike on Tuesday to demand the release of the incarcerated former premier Imran Khan and other leaders. The party has set up camps outside the Parliament House in Islamabad and the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, where token hunger strikes will be staged daily from 3 pm to 8 pm.
Rejecting the federal government’s allegations of anti-state motives, Qaiser asserted, “The party founder has clarified that national interests are a top priority for him, and the PTI stands by the security forces.”
