Imran Khan finally gets chance to form govt at Centre

ISLAMABAD: Finally, after the long-drawn struggle of 22 years, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan looks set to realise his dream of making a ‘Naya Pakistan’ by forming government in the Centre.

As per the trend of unofficial results of the general elections 2018, so far the PTI appears set to its target of winning at least 115-120 of the National Assembly’s 272 seats.

Imran Khan thrashed out a strategy this time to effectively outdo the rest and for this, he within few months and weeks before elections, welcomed scores of electables, mostly from Punjab, into his party fold.

And, a group led by former MNA Khusro Bakhtiar, electorally undermined both the PML-N and PPP in South Punjab.

“Yes, before launching the exercise for selection of candidates and then going for the election campaign, our leadership had expectation of bagging well over 100 seats of the National Assembly and it looks like being realised,” said a senior PTI leader while talking to The News late Wednesday night.

Smelling the long-cherished victory, Imran Khan, who was earlier reportedly planning to stay in Lahore for election result announcement, was glued to his chair in Banigala, preparing a victory speech to be delivered via satellite. Already, the hilly locality was echoing with slogans of “Wazir-e-Azam Imran Khan”.

The cricketer-turned-philanthropist-turned politician had won the unlikely World Cup as a skipper in 1992 and now, he is poised for landing in the Prime Minister House.

Celebrations have already begun and senior leaders, including Naeemul Haq and Jahangir Tareen, Faisal Javed and Babar Awan reached Banigala to greet their leader. Party supporters, particularly youth, also made their way to mark the occasion.

It was the PTI’s fourth participation in general elections, as it had boycotted the 2008 elections. Formed in April 1996, Imran managed to win a single seat of the National Assembly from Mianwali in 2002 elections and his party surprised many in 2013 when it pocketed a total of 34 NA seats and formed a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Imran, who repeatedly announced not to join hands with the PML-N or PPP for the formation of government, fielded nearly 800 candidates for the National Assembly and four assemblies. The PTI cleared some 245 candidates for 272 NA seats, while another 522 for provincial assemblies: 285 fielded for Punjab, 98 each for Sindh and KP and 41 candidates for Balochistan assembly seats. The PTI also awarded tickets of NA general seats to 14 females.

It goes without saying that the PTI will have talks shortly with like-minded entities such as the Grand Democratic Alliance, PML-Q and independents to form government in Islamabad. As the trend suggests, Imran also looks to again install his party government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab too with some other parties.