KARACHI: PTI leader and former speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Friday said his party would “merge” with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) if the Election Commi­ssion of Pakistan accepted its recent intra-party polls and returned its electoral symbol of ‘bat’.

In a related development, SIC chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza reacted sharply to PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat’s contention that the alliance with the party was a mistake, saying the decision to have PTI-backed independents join the council was made by the PTI, not the SIC.

In January, after back-and-forth verdicts by the ECP and the Peshawar High Court, the PTI’s electoral symbol ultimately was revoked by the Supreme Court. The PTI later on March 3 conducted its intra-party elections for a third time in two years, following its Dec 2 elections that were earlier declared invalid.

Speaking to DawnNews’ Nadir Guramani on whether PTI-backed candidates who joined the SIC would remain in the party, Mr Qaiser said, “Yes, we will remain but we will also merge with it.”

SIC leader hits back at Marwat, says decision to ally independents with his party was Imran’s, not his

He explained that if the party got back its electoral symbol after the recent intra-party polls, “both [parties] would merge” and “remain as PTI”, rather than the current scenario of its candidates being a part of the SIC, according to a Dawn.com report.

On the matter of whether it would be allowed under the laws, he said his party was consulting legal experts.

Asked if it was the right decision for PTI-backed candidates to join the SIC, Mr Qaiser replied that the party held “many consultations” within it and that the options were few.

Referring to the coalition gover­nment, he said, “A fake government cannot understand this country’s economic situation. […] They do not have the capacity, capability or even authority to make decisions. They will run away themselves.” About the fate of allies in the coalition government, Mr Qaiser said, “God-willing, there would be public pressure to the extent that the mandate thieves will leave this [government]. A new government will be formed, which will rightly comprise of those given the public mandate,” he said, adding that he is seeing “a change in four to five months”.

When asked if he thought elections would be held anew, the PTI MNA expressed hope of “getting justice” from the cases currently under way in the election appellate tribunals and other courts. “And we will get our seats back [from the courts],” he said.

On the possibility of bringing a vote of no-confidence against the current government, Mr Qaiser said, “Definitely, when we will have the [required] numbers, there will be our representation. Imran Khan will be the PM.”

SIC hits back at Marwat

Separately, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) leader Sahibzda Hamid Raza hit back at PTI’s Sher Afzal Marwat, saying that the decision to have PTI-backed independents join the SIC was made by the PTI, not the SIC.

“It is better if the friends of PTI solve their issues at home and the decision of independent[s] to join Sun­ni Ittehad Council was taken by Imran Khan, it was not request by me,” Mr Raza wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

He said he too had many inside stories to tell and if he disclosed them on a talk show, several people would not be able to show their faces. “My commitment is with Imran Khan and will always abide with it,” he said.

A day earlier, in an appearance on a talk show, Mr Marwat had claimed that ‘two mistakes’ that led to PTI allying itself with the SIC cost them “around 80 seats”.

Talking to Dawn, the SIC leader said he had conveyed to the PTI leadership that he was silent, but they too should behave responsibly.

The SIC leader, without naming any state entity or individual said, “The organised forces were also creating this misunderstanding and spreading fake news also.”

He referred to the PTI core committee meeting on March 14 in the Parli­ament House’s parking lot.

“We held the meeting there as we feared that our discussions were being tapped. Neither Sher Afzal Marwat nor Sardar Latif Khosa were there, but as soon as I entered the parliament house, there were tickers on mainstream media sharing my statement from the meeting.”

“There is another meeting scheduled with the PTI on Sunday in Islamabad, but in the meantime I have told them that statements regarding mt or my party should be avoided in the public.”

He said the core committee has decided to challenge the Peshawar High Court decision in the Supreme Court regarding reserved seats.

Kalbe Ali in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2024