PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s presidential candidate, Dr Arif Alvi, on Thursday said he was hopeful of getting more votes than the electoral college strength of his party and allies in the Sept 4 election.

“I’m confident of polling more votes (than our strength in assemblies),” he told reporters at the Chief Minister’s House.

Dr Alvi, who earlier met the PTI members of the provincial and national assemblies and Senate, said he had come to Peshawar to canvass for presidential polls.

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He said he had also visited Balochistan as part of his election campaign and was hopeful that its socioeconomic conditions would improve during the PTI government like KP’s. The presidential candidate said KP was the PTI’s ‘base’, where the party implemented its agenda of change.

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He added that it was the result of the PTI’s good governance in the province that helped it reclaim power for the second consecutive time.

Dr Alvi said the PTI’s government in KP would make every effort to further improve the people’s socioeconomic conditions.

“Our party’s both leadership and government are striving to implement our agenda,” he said.

He said a meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss the creation of 10 million jobs and the construction of five million houses for the poor people across the country, while the government was also working on ways and means to eliminate corruption from the country.

About priorities after his election as president, Dr Alvi said while staying within the constitutional and legal bounds, he would work for addressing non-political issues like water, health, preventive medicine and afforestation facing the common man.

He said no political party would object to him working.

About the ‘declining’ role of the party’s provincial chapters in decision-making process, Dr Alvi said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his capacity as the PTI head took decisions after consulting leaders representing all parts of the country.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2018