PPP accuses PTI of backtracking on joint candidate for presidential election

Khursheed Shah claims the Imran Khan-led party had agreed on Ahsan's name for presidency

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) stalwart Khursheed Shah has claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had nominated Aitzaz Ahsan's name for the presidential election and now they are backtracking on it.

While speaking to the media on Wednesday, he said that the PTI had reached out to PPP to field a joint candidate in the said election, Express News reported.

Shah said that Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had approached him for both parties to field a joint candidate, in the presence of former president Raja Pervez Ashraf.

The PPP leader said that when he asked for a name for a presidential candidate, Chaudhry responded with Ahsan's name, which Shah accepted.



He claimed that now the PTI has made a "U-turn" on Ahsan's candidature by fielding party leader Arif Alvi instead.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry spoke out via twitter by expressing his surprise over Shah's claims.

He said that Alvi would easily win the presidential race and in view of this, Ahsan should withdraw his candidature.

The federal minister went on to claim that Alvi is poised to win the election with the biggest majority in the recent political history.

Surprised on Khursheed Shah Statement,PTI Candidate @ArifAlvi is winning hands down so Aitzaz sb shld be requested to withdraw from Presidential race, otherwise wont make any difference as in any case @ArifAlvi is poised to win with biggest majority of recent political history

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 29, 2018