ISLAMABAD: As political parties gear up for the local government (LG) elections scheduled for Dec 31 in the capital, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) on Tuesday announced that it would extend unconditional support to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Both parties hope that residents of the federal capital will vote for the PTI to defeat the 13 parties’ alliance, as masses did in the by-polls elsewhere in the country with the PTI winning 85pc of the by-elections in the last eight months.

This announcement was made during a joint press conference held by PTI Islamabad Region President Ali Nawaz Awan and MWM political secretary Engineer Zaheer Naqvi.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Naqvi said the MWM had been supporting the PTI’s ideology of Riyasat-i-Madina, adding that true public representation was the need of the hour to get the country out of prevailing instability.

“The MWM has decided to unconditionally support the PTI in the Islamabad local government polls. It is good for the future of Pakistan that both parties have decided to support each other,” he said.

Member of National Assembly (MNA) Awan said MWM chief Raja Abbas Nasir stood by the PTI during the last eight months for which his party was grateful.

He said the PTI was striving hard to make Pakistan a welfare state like the state of Madina, but unfortunately, the formula of ‘divide and rule’ sowed the seed of sectarianism and linguistic division in the country.

The PTI was contesting the LG polls like the general election, he said, adding that the PTI would easily grab the mayor slot in Islamabad.

He said the people of Islamabad would vote for the PTI on Dec 31 to inflict a “humiliating defeat on the 13 parties’ alliance”, as they did in the by-polls elsewhere in the country. Imran Khan made a world record by winning eight by-elections, he said, adding once the PTI was called a “Tanga party” but today Imran Khan has reduced the 13-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) group to a ‘Tanga party’. He said that during the last eight months, the government subjected the PTI to all kinds of state repression, ruined the economy and imposed curbs on media.

Mr Awan went on to say that PTI always took decisions for the future of the homeland instead of short term political gains, and this was evident from the fact that over 125 members of the assembly submitted their resignations collectively which had not been accepted so far.

However, he said that PTI MNAs would go to the National Assembly for approval of their resignations on the day of dissolution of provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said it was not possible to hold a by-election on 567 seats, so there will be a general election and PTI would win with a two-third majority.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2022