Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), under the leadership of Barrister Gohar Khan, has decided against merging with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Instead, Gohar announced that all PTI lawmakers would retain their affiliation with PTI once they regain the party’s iconic electoral symbol: the bat.
In an interview Gohar clarified that PTI has opted out of integration with the religio-political SIC and will recall its members from Parliament.
Previously, on February 19, PTI had unveiled plans to form an alliance with SIC. This arrangement involved successful candidates in the general elections joining SIC in national and provincial assemblies to secure reserved seats.
However, the alliance hit a snag when the Election Commission of Pakistan intervened, citing “non-curable legal defects and violation of mandatory provisions regarding submission of party lists for reserved seats.”
The complete interview with Gohar will be aired on Saturday. He emphasized, “We will reunite with our party upon regaining the bat symbol. Our victory was achieved with PTI’s support and votes, and we also aim for PTI representation in Parliament.”
Gohar clarified that SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza would not join PTI, hinting at ideological disparities as the reason behind the parties’ non-merger.
Overall, PTI’s decision to maintain its independence from SIC underscores its commitment to its own principles and objectives, despite earlier attempts at forming alliances for political leverage.
