Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidate for PM Omar Ayub Khan said that Shehbaz Sharif’s government was formed on a “fake mandate”. He said that the government was based on Form 47 not Form 45.

He also said that the PTI had won 180 seats which would have crossed 200 with the addition of reserved seats, which are still being denied to the party.

Khan said that the parties in the coalition government looked as if they were attending a ‘funeral’ and there was no jubilation at forming a government because they knew it was based on a ‘fake mandate’.

He demanded an impartial inquiry into the events of May 9, which he said had been used to crackdown on his party. He added that PTI workers were shot and killed during the protests.

The PTI leader also said Imran Khan and other political leaders were political prisoners and were being victimised by the state. He added that the party would stand firm until Imran Khan was ready to return as prime minister.

He also referred to the arrests of Imran Riaz Khan and Asad Toor and said that the new government was already trying to control the media.

Responding to Shehbaz Sharif’s plans for bringing investment, he said that it was imperative to bring the rule of law in the country first.

The PTI leader also got into an argument Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah over the live broadcast of his speech being taken off air. However, Shah assured him that the speech had been resumed.

Shehbaz Sharif received 201 votes to become PM while Omar Ayub received only 92 votes.