Amid the controversy surrounding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) decision to forge an alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), religious party’s Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza insists that it was PTI founder Imran Khan who made the decision to join his party.
Reacting to PTI leaders’ contradictory remarks, Raza advised them on Friday to “resolve their issues at home”. He warned, “From election symbols to special seats, I have something to say. If I sit in talk shows and say something, many people will not be able to show their faces.”
On the contrary, Ali Zafar, PTI leader and a member of Imran Khan’s legal team, has said that Khan was informed about the party’s decision to join SIC later.
Speaking to a news channel, Zafar said it was decided that the PTI should go with a party, which contested the general elections and had a member in the parliament. “We wanted to join a party for reserved seats,” he said.
Endorsing PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat’s statement on the political alliance, Zafar said that Khan had initially decided to join Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen but the decision was changed later.
Zafar said the PTI knew this might create an issue in securing reserved seats, but the decision was taken nonetheless. He said that reasons for joining the SIC will be explained by the party later.
When asked if Khan was aware of the party’s decision to join SIC, Zafar said there was some miscommunication in this regard that could be cleared by those only who made the decision. He said “Imran Khan sahib was told later on” and added that he himself was not an active part of the decision-making process.
Controversial statements from the two parties are coming a day after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) dismissed SIC’s petition for allocation of reserved seats in the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies.