PTI to contest AJK polls without entering any electoral alliance

Saiyan0321 · Nov 29, 2020

PTI to contest AJK polls without entering any electoral alliance

ISLAMABAD - The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided in principle to go solo in the upcoming elections of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) without making any electoral alliance with any party, The Nation has learnt.

The decision has come days after the ruling party emerged as the single largest party in November 15 election of Legislative Assembly of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The PTI with the help of independents is poised to form the next government in 33-member GB Legislative Assembly.

The party has decided to contest the next polls of the AJK Legislative Assembly without going into any electoral alliance with any other party, an office-bearer of the PTI’s Central Secretariat said.

The PTI Chief Organiser Saifullah Khan Nyazee has agreed this with the party’s leadership in AJK, the office-bearer said. He said the party hoped that its position was better in AJK and there was no need to make alliance to contest the polls.

The PTI had earlier formed an electoral alliance with the Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) by making a seat adjustment with the latter to contest the polls in GB election. The PTI had run its election campaign with the promise of giving the strategically located territory the status of “provisional province” besides announcing many development projects in the area.

When asked what the reason is to go solo in AJK election contrary to party’s past experience of contesting GB election with an alliance, the PTI office-bearer said the politics of the both the areas had different dimensions and the party’s position was better in AJK.

The next polls in AJK are at least seven months away as the present AJK Legislative Assembly will complete its five-year term in July 2021.

A day earlier, the president of the PTI’s AJK chapter and former prime minister Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry had met with PTI’s Chief Organizer Saifullah Khan Nyazee and senior vice president Arshad Daad at the party’s Central Secretariat to discuss preparation of the upcoming polls.

The political situation of AJK, organisational issues and the strategy for forthcoming elections in the region were discussed in detail during the meeting,” the PTI said in a statement adding that PTI was ready to “flex its muscles in upcoming elections in AJK.”

According to PTI, a high-powered parliamentary board would soon be constituted to find and field the most suitable candidates for these polls.