Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat has sparked controversy with his comments regarding the party's recent alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Speaking on a special segment of Samaa TV program ‘Do Tok’, he expressed gratitude to the SIC for their support but questioned the decision to join forces with them.
Marwat revealed that while PTI founder Imran Khan was incarcerated, he had instructed the party to collaborate with Maulana Sherani. PTI had publicly announced this alliance, finalized seat adjustments, and Terms of References (TORs). However, just eight hours before the submission of nomination papers, the alliance was abruptly terminated, allegedly under external pressure.
The PTI leader highlighted that Khan was not consulted regarding the alliance's dissolution and expressed disappointment over the decision made by the party's batsman, a reference to an unidentified individual within the party.
He emphasized the seriousness of this error, particularly as it affected his candidacy, revealing his surprise upon discovering that his nomination papers were under the batsman's name.
While Marwat refrained from directly accusing anyone, he expressed bewilderment regarding the source of these instructions, indicating that speculations could be made but refraining from implicating any innocent party.
He highlighted that six days prior to submitting nomination papers, he and Barrister Gohar jointly held a press conference announcing an alliance with Maulana Shirani, with Asad Qaiser also in attendance. However, Marwat expressed frustration over the lack of initiative from an unidentified party member, referred to as the "batsman," who failed to move forward with the alliance plans.
The PTI leader clarified that the alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council was not deemed incorrect, but stressed the importance of adhering to specific seat allocations as per the constitution. He mentioned their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court regarding this matter.
Regarding Senate elections, Marwat asserted PTI's ability to contest independently or under the banner of the Sunni Unity Council. He emphasized the need for the Election Commission to release notifications following PTI's intra-party elections, ensuring their representation in the Senate.
The PTI leader clarified that he did not personally nominate Senate candidates but received a list from Barrister Gohar, who consulted Imran Khan. Khan, in turn, approved the list, including the name of a lawyer from Kohat among others, demonstrating the party's transparent decision-making process.
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