PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here on Tuesday dispelled the impression that there were differences among the lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf regarding the Senate elections.

Terming such rumours as baseless, fabricated and contrary to ground realities, he said that PTI was a party of sincere, devoted and committed workers, who stood firm with the ideology of Imran Khan.

“They will do so in future as well,” he said, according to a statement.

The chief minister said that PTI lawmakers would never betray the party leadership in any case. He said that during the meeting of PTI lawmakers with Prime Minister Imran Khan in Governor’s House Peshawar on Monday, there was complete unity and harmony and all the lawmakers were on the same page. He added that the lawmakers reiterated their commitment to support the party candidates in the upcoming Senate elections.

Mahmood Khan says opposition to suffer setback in Senate polls

The chief minister said that during the meeting, all the party parliamentarians reposed confidence in the party leadership and endorsed its decisions regarding the nomination of candidates for Senate polls.

“Complete unity and harmony exist among the parliamentarians of PTI with regard to party decisions which will continue to exist in future as well,” he said. He added that parliamentarians and workers of PTI had an ideological attachment with party and they stood firm with their leadership.

The chief minister said that opposition parties were trying to win Senate elections through unfair means, but they would fail to do so.

He added that the opposition would get a setback in Senate elections.

Mr Khan said that PTI believed in transparency in electoral process and that’s why it propounded holding of Senate elections through show of hands. He said that opposition parties were opposing it because they did not want fair play and transparency in the elections.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman on Tuesday prorogued the session of provincial assembly for indefinite period. The assembly was prorogued through a notification issued here by the assembly secretariat.

It is pertinent to mention here that speaker had adjourned the assembly session for indefinite period on January 25.

As per parliamentary traditions, the provincial government is likely to convene the session prior to Senate elections for handing over the assembly’s building to Election Commission of Pakistan for holding the polls.

PML-N MPA elect from Nowshera Ikhtiar Wali Khan is likely to take oath in the session to be convened prior to the Senate elections.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2021