ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: The Awami Muslim League of Shaikh Rashid and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf agreed on Wednesday to fight the next general elections from one platform.Sources in the PTI said talks between heads of the two parties were held at Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence.

The sources said that Mr Khan would announce an electoral alliance with the AML at a public meeting organised by Shaikh Rashid in Liaquat Bagh on Aug 13.

PTI’s media manager Jawad confirmed that the two parties had reached an understanding that the PTI would not field its candidate in a constituency where the AML had a strong support.

Talking to Dawn, Shaikh Rashid said the two parties had agreed to support each other’s candidates. He said he had formally invited Mr Khan to his Aug 13 public meeting.

The PTI had earlier planned to field Ijaz Ahmad Jazi against Shaikh Rashid but now he would be accommodated in another constituency, the sources said.

There were reports that Shaikh Rashid was going to join either the PML-N or PTI, but there was opposition in both the parties to the inclusion of the AML chief.

Shaikh Rashid has rubbished the reports.

The politician from Rawalpindi who was an influential minister during the days of General Musharraf was defeated in the 2008 elections and later in a by-election on both the National Assembly seats in his home constituency.

Later, he left the PML-Q and formed his own party.

Interestingly, Shaikh Rashid heads a party which has no other candidate except himself (in Rawalpindi), but he still managed to convince Mr Khan that he could help PTI candidates win in other constituencies.