ISLAMABAD: The Pakis­tan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said on Wednesday that the two-member Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had extended its support to its nominee Azam Swati for the office of the opposition leader in the Senate.

When contacted, JI secretary general Liaquat Baloch while confirming that they had agreed to support Mr Swati’s nomination, said “we have no option.”

Mr Baloch said that in the present circumstances, his party could not support the Pakistan Peoples Party’s nominee. However, he said they had told the PTI that the JI would maintain its independent status in the Senate and would not become part of any opposition alliance.

The JI, which is a coalition partner of the PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, announced its support after a meeting between Azam Swati with JI chief Senator Sirajul Haq.

With the support of the JI, the PTI now claims to have the support of 20 senators.

The other contender for the office is Sherry Rehman of the PPP, who has submitted her nomination to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani with the signatures of 33 senators.

Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday had claimed that both the PPP and the PTI had 20 members in the Senate and the independent senators were yet to make a decision.

He claimed that besides the JI, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had also assured the PTI of their support.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2018