The PTI announced its decision on Monday to ally with the Sunni Ittehad Council under which the party candidates would join the religio-political party in the national and provincial assemblies to secure reserved seats.

“We have decided that in the national and provincial assembly will hopefully join the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC),” PTI leader Gohar Khan said at a press conference flanked by Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Chairman Allama Raja Nasir and SIC Chairman Mohammad Hamid Raza.

The decision comes as the Election Commission of Pakistan issued three notifications over the last three days for the candidates who won elections.

To secure reserved seats and form a government, it was mandatory for candidates backed by Imran Khan’s party to join a political party. A solid strength would also help the party in having the required legislation passed from the House.

“Our candidates yesterday submitted their affidavits to us and I today with their consent and with their thanks we announce that the PTI backed independent candidates will join the Sunni Ittehad Council in the assembly,” Gohar said.

He defended the decision by saying that reserved seats are allotted to political parties.

There are 70 reserved seats in the National Assembly and 210 seats in the whole country which are only allotted to the political party.

Gohar added that the PTI has also signed a formal agreement with the SIC and joined the party. The document would be submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday.

The PTI claims that independent candidates backed by them have won 180 National Assembly seats, but provisional election results show that they are victorious on over 90 seats.

The country’s top electoral authority has so far issued three notifications: on February 16, February 17, and February 18.

Any independent candidate has to join a political party within three days after the issuance of notification.

Gohar, who also represents former prime minister Imran Khan in a couple of cases, said that the party had a consultative meeting on Sunday and the party decided after a detailed meeting with Allama Nasir.

PTI’s candidate for the prime ministerial position Omar Ayub said that the party wanted to have unity in the country.

After coming to power, he said that the party’s objective would be to take steps for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, former first lady Bushra Bibi, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pervez Elahi, women supporters of PTI behind bars, senior leadership, and workers.

MWM Chairman Allama Raja Nasir stated that if people would cross their domains then there would be problems.

He added that normally elections were held to get the country out of crisis, but here elections were allegedly bulldozed. He was of the view that those who do power politics cannot understand it.

“We won’t be a burden on PTI but will support them and only Imran Khan can work for nation-building,” Nasir said and claimed that the parties have so much trust in each other.

“It is a great decision and I have said that SIC Chairman Mohammad Hamid Raza is here and this is the best option. We have no reservations and we are happy.”

SIC Chairman Nasir said that the alliance with PTI was very old and it started seven to eight years ago. “Now a new situation has developed.”

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He clarified that it was not a single-handed decision and was taken after discussion and consensus with the MWM, SIC, and the PTI.

“We have always opposed sectarian violence and extremism and follow harmony. We don’t believe in militancy and have a clear stance on banned outfits. All schools of thought not just are with the PTI and a majority of minorities are with the PTI.”

He went on to add that it was an unconditional alliance with the PTI. “I just want to clear in black and white that the policy will be of PTI and Imran Khan and a memorandum has also been signed.”