PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reached out to both the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to seek their support for the unopposed election of its nominee Muhammad Sohail Afridi as the next chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PTI’s 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 officials at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar on Sunday.
ANP’s Syed Aqil Shah, Salahuddin, Hussain Shah Yousafzai, Arslan Khan Nazim, Hamid Toofan and Tariq Afghan also attended the meeting.
According to party insiders, the meeting focused on the province’s political situation and the upcoming election for chief minister. PTI leaders urged ANP to support their candidate in the interest of political stability.
However, Mian Iftikhar Hussain sought time to consult his party’s central leadership and made it clear that ANP “believes in the supremacy of Parliament and the Constitution”.
“We believe in democracy and continue to struggle for its strengthening. The Awami National Party will not become part of any unconstitutional or undemocratic move,” he added.
In a separate development, the PTI delegation, led by Junaid Akbar, also met Federal Minister Amir Muqam of the PML-N at his residence to request support for Sohail Afridi’s unopposed election.
The PTI delegation included MNAs 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 in the hope of making decisions together, as in the past. The issues facing the province can only be addressed collectively.” He added that PTI holds a clear majority in the provincial assembly and that “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 matter with other opposition parties in line with provincial traditions and would inform PTI of the decision after consulting its central leadership.
