PTI leader Barrister Gohar Khan on Thursday said former premier Imran Khan had nominated Omer Ayub as the candidate for prime minister while Mian Aslam Iqbal was picked for the slot of Punjab chief minister.
The development came after Barrister Gohar and other PTI leaders held a flurry of meetings with the imprisoned party chief at Adiala Jail to discuss the current political scenario.
With post-election deal-making in high gear, the PTI is weighing its options. In a media talk outside Adiala Jail, Barrister Gohar said Imran had nominated PTI central general secretary Omar Ayub Khan, hiding after facing over 20 criminal charges following the May 9 riots, as the candidate for prime minister.
Meanwhile, Mian Aslam Iqbal and Salaar Kakar were nominated for the slots of Punjab and Balochistan chief ministers, respectively. Barrister Gohar said Aqibullah Khan, brother of PTI leader Asad Qaiser, was picked for the position of the speaker of the KP Assembly. He said the PTI’s nominations for the National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker would be announced in the upcoming days.
Barrister Gohar further asserted that the PTI would not engage in power-sharing with the PML-N, PPP and MQM-P. “Imran Khan has clearly said that the politics of PTI is not for power-sharing but for the public,” he said. “The PTI is doing politics for the protection of the public’s rights and believes in the supremacy of the mandate and democracy,” he highlighted. “Therefore, we don’t believe in any power-sharing.” “We will do strong opposition until our full mandate is returned, but we are in the position to form governments in Punjab, KP and Centre,” Gohar said.
He also said that the party would hold a peaceful protest across the country on Saturday (February 17) against the “marginalisation of the PTI”, claiming that the party had won a “clear mandate” but it was being “snatched”.
Barrister Gohar invited all other political parties that were protesting the February 8 election results specifically naming the GDA, JI, JUI-F, TLP and ANP to join the PTI.
