PTI, allies can form govt without support of other parties

ISLAMABAD: Keeping aside all the controversies surrounding the conduct of general elections, in a house of 342 seats, the PTI will be dependent on the support of its allies (PML-Q and AML) and some independents to be in a comfortable position to attain the simple majority figure of 172 to make the government in the Centre.

In the 342-member National Assembly, the PTI’s strength will be 160 after acquiring 29 women’s reserved seats and 4 or 5 reserved seats for minorities. After excluding four additional seats, won by the PTI chief Imran Khan and the one by PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar Khan and considering 7 or 8 independents joining it and making its total strength 126 in the NA, the PTI can bag 16 women seats from the Punjab, eight from KP, one or two from and three from Sindh for the national assembly.

The PTI’s ally PML Q has won four seats from Punjab and by having one independent winner candidate, it can also have one women seat. The Awami Muslim League (AML)’s Sheikh Rasheed is already supporting the PTI and considering that some independents from Fata who will not join the PTI formally will support the government in the centre and the PTI in the NA will attain the figure of 173 which is a comfortable majority.

The support from BAP (1), GDA (2), BNP-M (5) and MQM (8) will be a bonus for the PTI. Keeping in view that the opposition parties PML-N or PPP will not try to dislodge the PTI government through any no confidence move, the PTI government will be stable even with the support of 173 MNAs only. This position can be further strengthened after results of by-election on some of the constituencies as the electorate often supports the ruling party during such polls.

The PMLN’ strength in the National Assembly will reach 80 after acquiring 14 women seats and two-three minority’s seats. The PPP’s strength in the NA will touch the figure of 56 after acquiring nine women’s seats from Sindh and two from Punjab in the NA. The MMA tally will be 15 after acquiring one woman seat from KP and Balochistan in the NA. The BNP will also get a woman’s seat from Balochistan in the NA. On the basis of the results announced so far, party position in the National Assembly will be like this: PTI 160, PML-N 80, PPP 56, MMA 15, MQM 8, PML-Q 5, BNP 5, GDA 2, BAP 1, AML 1, ANP 1 and Independents 7.