Consensus: JI, PTI agree on electoral alliance

Parties have constituted a committee to discuss adjustment details.

PESHAWAR: As talks of seat adjustments and alliances continue, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have agreed to an electoral partnership in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The announcement was made on Sunday after leaders of both parties held a meeting at JI Peshawar district chief Bahrullah Khan’s residence.

Addressing reporters, JI Provincial Amir Professor Mohammad Ibrahim Khan confirmed both parties had constituted a committee which would decide on seat adjustments within a week.

The JI will be represented by Provincial General Secretary Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Provincial Deputy Amir Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and Dr Iqbal Khalil, while Provincial General Secretary Shaukat Yousafzai, Shah Farman and regional coordinators for each of the four regional chapters would speak for the PTI. Khan maintained the JI would not only oppose delays to the election, it would also resist any such move. “There is no alternative to elections and people should have the right to elect their leadership.”

PTI provincial president Asad Qaiser hoped both parties would be able to forge a consensus regarding seat adjustments. He said both parties had been part of the All-Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) in the past and would continue to cooperate in the future.

Leaders from the parties were quick to reject any rumours regarding an alliance with K-P’s ruling coalition partners, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP), blaming them for the woes of the country. Both parties agreed to hold another meeting on March 26, after preparing detailed reports regarding the prospects of electoral cooperation.

JI leaders said they had nominated over 90% of their candidates for national and provincial assembly seats, while the PTI maintained party activists could submit applications for their candidacy until March 18.

PML-N and JUI-F

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders also held a meeting that continued till late on Saturday night. Their six-member committee discussed details of an election partnership.

However, signals given by the PML-N indicate both parties are far from any kind of consensus. A PML-N member told The Express Tribune that the JUI-F, in addition to demanding those seats which it had won in the 2008 elections, also wanted seats in which its candidates had been runner-ups and bagged a higher percentage of votes.

“We told them that a lot has changed and that 2008 cannot be used as a benchmark,” he said, adding any adjustments should be based on ground realities. “There is no guarantee that a party will perform well again in the same constituencies as it did in 2008,” he argued. “If this is the case other parties should leave space for PPP and ANP candidates.”

He said the JUI-F is eager to keep everything for itself, adding seat adjustments would be carried out where both parties had almost no chances of winning. “Seats where both parties think that they can win will be left open.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2013.