22 independents, PML-Q votes take PTI tally to 153 in Punjab

E-Paper | June 04, 2026

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has entered the `final phase’ of forming its government in Punjab with assertions that the party has already got the support of required number of MPAs-elect. However, there is no discussion on the selection of a candidate for Punjab chief minister for now.

Besides eight elected members of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), including an independent, the PTI claims 22 independents have formally joined the party, taking its tally to 153 in the directly-elected house of 297 members.

Read: PTI yet to nominate CMs of Punjab, KP

The 22 independents, who have joined the party, are: Raja Sagheer Ahmad (PP-7), Syed Saeedul Hassan (PP-46), Muhammad Ajmal Cheema (PP-97), Ghulam Rasool Sangha (PP-83), Ameer M Khan (PP-89), Saeed Akbar Khan (PP-90), Khawar Shah (PP-203), Muhammad Umer Farooq (PP-106), Faisal Hayat (PP-125), Hussain Jahanian Gardezi (PP-204), Sheikh Salman Naeem (PP-2017), Fida Hussain (PP-237), Shaukat Lalika (PP-238), Sardar Abdul Haye Dasti (PP-270), Basit Bukhari (PP-272), Khurram Leghari (PP-275), Tahir Mehmood Randhawa (PP-282), Syed Rafaqat Ali Gillani (PP-284), Muhammad Hanif Pitafi (PP-289), Taimoor Laali (PP-93), Rai Taimoor Bhatti (PP-124) and Mehr Aslam Bharwana (PP-127).

Sources say the PTI will bag 34 women seats and five minority seats against its 153 members and show up with 192 members in the complete house of 371 members.

Sources say party chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday remained busy in discussions about party policies for the first 30 days, 90 days and 100 days. “However, there was no discussion on the chief minister candidate as the party is weighing all options,” says a party leader.

Owing to indecision, the candidates for the coveted chief minister slot are increasing and lobbying with their credentials besides discrediting others on different grounds.

Candidates in the run are: Abdul Aleem Khan, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and new entrant Yassir Humayun (PP-21).

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2018

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ELECTIONS 2018

Pakistan

Mansoor Malik is a reporter for Dawn with three decades of experience covering politics, governance, legislation, education, and health. He can be found on X at @mansoor691.

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SUMAIRA

Aug 02, 2018 08:09am

Best wishes for a bright future for Punjab, KP, Balochistan and Karachi. Sindh is still under the thumb of the corrupt and will take a while to recover from the yoke of corruption.

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Najum

Aug 02, 2018 08:31am

Pmln took this mandate away from benezir in the 90s with the help of establishment. Now imran has done the same to him...waiting for imran's turn now.

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vakar

Aug 02, 2018 08:39am

Good news

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Akil Akhtar

Aug 02, 2018 08:44am

Khadim-e-Ala is history.....

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Vikram

Aug 02, 2018 08:48am

I see this collational move as destruction move of IK's political career. Those who have come with you would have come to you with a motive. Good luck Khan Saab!

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Imran

Aug 02, 2018 08:52am

All the best PTI, take Punjab to new frontier

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Abdul Haseeb Chaudhry

Aug 02, 2018 09:11am

Great job and best wishes to PTI. Well deserved

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AZAM AKBAR

Aug 02, 2018 09:27am

@SUMAIRA Ms. SUMAIRA, Please don't expect any positive from PPP in Sindh because the looters, corrupts and cruels are same as before. However, it seems there is hope that the situation in the urban areas of Sindh will change and it will be difficult for the most corrupt party PPP to loot the whole budget. MQM and PTI will strictly control the provincial government and local bodies or local administrative units will be sovereign. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, Ms. Faryal Talpur, Mr. Bilawal Zardari, Mr. Sharjeel Inam Memon and others will stand before the Supreme Court of Pakistan because of money laundering and corruption.

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Timelines

Aug 02, 2018 09:37am

Policies for the first 30 days, 90 days and 100 days. Good start

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Sameer

Aug 02, 2018 09:46am

@Najum keep waiting. Will see you after 5 yrs.

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Traveler

Aug 02, 2018 09:50am

@SUMAIRA Karachi is Sindh. Therefore, best wishes for bright future for Karachi means best wishes for bright future for Sindh.

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Ahmad M. Quazi

Aug 02, 2018 10:14am

Democracy is a real great concept in the realm of politics. A party which grabs the highest number of seats in the center, almost double the number of seats (116 v 64) has to go begging and pleading very meekly and docilely the parties which did not grab even one tenth of the number of its seats to join it so that it can form govt. In the same way it is almost true that a party which grabs almost the equal number of seats with the party grabbing the highest number of seats (123 against 127) has to undergo as strenuously and strangely the same kind of maneuvers with extreme docility and humility to acquire majority seats. What a cumbersome and humiliating kind of maneuvering to acquire a right kind of political government. That is the real democracy in its right guise and colours.

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Farooq

Aug 02, 2018 10:20am

@SUMAIRA Are you sure that independent have joined with out greed and all of them are amin and sadiq ?

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Aug 02, 2018 10:30am

Thanks to Imran Khan for removing the stranglehold of the Sharifs from Punjab. Hopefully Shahbaz Sharif will be in jail for life soon for his corruption and crimes against the people of punjab. Justice zindabad

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Dr Khan

Aug 02, 2018 10:49am

Media should should show patience. IK has already decided the person who will be the next CM of Punjab. Rest assure it will be a pleasant surprise for all. Person chosen will be young educated person who could take IK agenda forward of reforms in police,health and education in the largest province of Pakistan.

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Haroon

Aug 02, 2018 11:10am

@Najum well, you are discrediting the millions of voters by concluding this

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dilawar

Aug 02, 2018 11:11am

Aleem Khan is best candidate for CM punjab post. All others have little or no experience to extent he has. First he needs to absolve himself from the cases against him.

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karachiite

Aug 02, 2018 11:39am

@Sumaira: Karachi is part of Sindh, get your geography straight.

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Saif Zulfiqar

Aug 02, 2018 11:44am

PTI is everywhere forming governments.

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Sid

Aug 02, 2018 12:04pm

Excellent - all we now need is better governance and justice for model town victims Punjab police needs a massive revamp too

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Royal-Mega.

Aug 02, 2018 12:29pm

@Najum How? Imran PTI+PML(Q) got 131 seats, you must remember that PTI was in alliace with PMLQ, so their number is more than PMLN...............and one more thing is that no body wants to come with defeated party.

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GHALIBJEEE

Aug 02, 2018 12:40pm

Only Sindh seems to be the province which will have no development, in the next five years as it has been the case in the last 10 years, as it is still relying on the Non - Existent Bhutto.

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Umer

Aug 02, 2018 12:41pm

Muavia Azam from PP-126 had also joined PTI.

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S Zafar Iqbal

Aug 02, 2018 01:13pm

@SUMAIRA . Karachi is in Sindh and will remain a hostage to the corrupt, inept rule of the Zardari gang.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Aug 02, 2018 02:08pm

Welcome to the new club. Keep it up and hang on tough.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Aug 02, 2018 02:43pm

Just state your price and get on to the bandwagon.

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Nassir Uddin

Aug 02, 2018 02:49pm

Going to old era ? where the naya pakistan ? Just change the bottle, drinks are the same !

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khaja

Aug 02, 2018 04:03pm

How much money PTI spent to buy the independents?

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Alba

Aug 02, 2018 06:50pm

This is a big surprise to me that the PML-N does not own Punjab.

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Patriot

Aug 03, 2018 08:49am

@Abdul Haseeb Chaudhry Well done PTI. It was an uphill task uprooting the entrenched dynasty of Sharifs from Punjab. But with masses support IK has done it.

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Shah

Aug 03, 2018 12:18pm

@SUMAIRA Karachi is Sindh, ignorant as usual.

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Waqar

Aug 03, 2018 02:32pm

@khaja PTI doesn't buy any candidates.

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Aug 03, 2018 08:41pm

The toughest mission accomplished by Imran Khan is that the inept and corrupt Sharifs have been removed from power in Punjab after 35 years. Punjab is now free to move forward with public service priorities instead of building expensive monuments

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Aug 03, 2018 09:17pm

Every independent will want something in return.

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Vivian Baldev Samuel

Aug 03, 2018 09:54pm

@SUMAIRA. Very true, Sindh is on the of destruction under PPPP for another five years. The literacy rate for Sindh, outside Karachi & Hyderabad is lower than sub-saharan countries.

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Anees A

Aug 03, 2018 10:41pm

Use the rule of Elimination, following should be Eliminated Abdul Aleem Khan Fawad Chaudhry I personally would vote for Dr. Yasmin Rashid

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Iftekhar Hassan

Aug 04, 2018 05:11am

As long as Asif A. Zardari is there in Sind politics .....corruption is to continue !

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