The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) announced on Wednesday that it will back Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) nominee Arif Alvi in the upcoming presidential election.

The BAP announcement came after a delegation of PTI leaders, including Alvi himself, federal minister Pervez Khattak, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Qasim Suri and others arrived in Quetta to muster support for the September 4 polls.

The PTI high command met with Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan — also the BAP chief — to secure his party's support for the presidential election, where Alvi is expected to be up against joint opposition candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PPPP's Aitzaz Ahsan.

"We have decided to support the PTI candidate for the presidency," Kamal told a press conference at the CM House.

The PTI leaders assured its BAP allies that all-out efforts would be made to bring Balochistan at par with rest of the country in terms of development.

"We will address the grievances of the people of Balochistan," Alvi promised.

The Balochistan CM added: "We will not make tall claims; rather, we will act to bring an end to the backwardness of the province."

The PTI leaders also met with leaders of Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) to seek their endorsement for Alvi. The JWP chief Shah Zain Bugti and HDP chief Khaliq Hazara assured the PTI leaders of their support.

When asked about the protocol of the Sindh governor in Quetta, federal minister Pervez Khattak stated: "People would laugh at us if we did not end protocol."

He also requested the Balochistan chief minister to keep his protocol at a minimum for the benefit of the masses.