PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has contacted both the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to seek their support for the unopposed election of its candidate Muhammad Sohail Afridi as the next chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar, accompanied by Sher Ali Arbab, Ali Khan Jadoon, Shaukat Yousafzai, Irfan Saleem and other party leaders, met ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain and senior ANP leaders at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar on Sunday.
Syed Aqil Shah, Salahuddin, Hussain Shah Yousafzai, Arslan Khan Nazim, Hamid Toofan and Tariq Afghan of ANP also attended the meeting.
According to party members, the meeting discussed the political situation in the province and the upcoming chief minister elections. PTI leaders urged the ANP to support their candidate in the interest of political stability.
However, Mian Iftikhar Hussain took time to consult with his party’s central leadership and made it clear that the ANP “believes in the supremacy of Parliament and the Constitution.”
“We believe in democracy and continue to fight for its strengthening. The Awami National Party will not participate in any unconstitutional or undemocratic move,” he added.
In another development, the PTI delegation, led by Junaid Akbar, also met Federal Minister Amir Muqam of the PML-N at his residence to seek support for the unopposed election of Sohail Afridi.
The PTI delegation included MPs Sher Ali Arbab, Ali Khan Jadoon, Dr Amjad, Kabir Khan, Idrees Khattak, Laeeq Khan and Ikram Khattana.
During the meeting, Junaid Akbar said, “We have come with the hope of taking decisions together, like in the past. The problems facing the province can only be solved collectively.” He added that the PTI has a clear majority in the provincial assembly and “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cannot afford further instability.”
He urged opposition parties to cooperate so that Sohail Afridi could be elected unopposed.
Responding to the request, Amir Muqam said the PML-N would discuss the issue with other opposition parties in accordance with provincial traditions and inform the PTI about the decision after consulting its central leadership.
