Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was quick to rule out an electoral alliance with the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
This came a day after Musharraf urged Pakistanis in an interview to the Indian media to vote the PTI to power in the upcoming general elections.
According to the former military ruler, the two mainstream political parties – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – have failed to deliver for decades.
“If the APML proceeds towards an electoral alliance, then we will definitely go with Imran Khan in the next general elections,” Musharraf was quoted as saying.
The PTI leadership, however, reacted promptly. “Former military chief Musharraf is living in a world of dreams when it comes to politics. APML’s alliance with the PTI in the next general elections is next to impossible,” said PTI Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood.
Musharraf has lost his support in Pakistan and his political career is bleak now, he added.
APML leader Ahmed Raza Kasuri, on the other hand, insisted that his party was pursuing an alliance with those political parties which never came to power in past. “We look to alliances with emerging political parties like PTI,” he said.
To a question, Kasuri said his party chief would return to Pakistan when the government announces a schedule for the next general elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2012.
COMMENTS (45)
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ET ,PTI is a dead horse .The net is keeping them alive .poor PTIers .Tch Tch . Imran and hsi netwarrior's "spitfires" drwoned PTI to the pit bottom .Pls stop day dreaming .
vot fore imran khan.
""..APML’s alliance with the PTI in the next general elections is next to impossible,” said PTI Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood." -
But guess what - we are going to fill our party's leadership with people who were in Musharraf's team!
Abay Bhai nahi karna alliance maaf kardo, jaan chordo.......seriously!!
@xyz:
no actually president musharraf is not desperate for any alliance with imran. since imrans head is now bigger than his undersized extremities, he is believing he's some kingmaker for electoral politics. the man has a rude awakening coming his way. i hope he suffers a defeat so that he understands what he will be facing.
How dare PTI hold party elections? We do not need such forward looking, democratic instiutions to set a bad example for all the Wadera and CEO parties--sends a bad signal to the our durbari's children, the cattle known as future voters for our children, our children's children, and so on....Imran is the conspirator par excellence and should be snubbed by all means before he turns the youth into a disobedient lot!
Whenever PTI say 'we would never do that' actually means they eventually will ..
why would PTI make an alliance with APML when all APML members are already in PTI =)
@sarah: And as far as my memory goes IK was a staunch supporter of Musharraf from 1999 to 2003 and aggressively supported him in the referendum! By the by 9/11 happened in 2001 and IK was staunchly with him when 'war on terror' commenced!!
The 'tanga party' comment was not for PTI but for the two larger parties.
IK will ultimately have to form an alliance. Lets see who he chooses.
APML is living in dreams and PTI is living online. One has no courage to come to Pakistan and other has no courage to show their faces at real polling stations.
Face book party of Musharaf and Mobile phone party of Imran would have made a great Digital Alliance of modern times.
Leaving aside the relevance or otherwise of General Musharraf(R) to Pakistan,s politics, the former ruler is a statesman of international standing. That is why Indian TV anchor Karan Tapar introduced him to the audience of his recent lecture on Pak India relations with these words : No stranger to statesmanship....
I am surprised how some PTI fans want this alliance with Musharraf. PTI's whole raison de' etre is anti drones. How can they ally with someone who actually started drone attacks with US help.
Imran khan cannot do everything on his own, he will have to form alliances,he is over confident that is not good. Over optimistic he is...............
My vote goes to IK very straight.
this alliance would be more likely the alliance of ppp and mqm . Both of these guys are just power seekers .
PTI should make an alliance with musharraf that would be good for pakistan
Good thinking, but can two independant minds share a single skull !
I think ET is very good in speculating news...and assumptions with unknown sources on part of PTI..you will not get coverage of PTI internal elections but you will get front page news for any small difference or negativity of PTI..good work..
compare to an NRO-laden party
don't waste your vote to avoid hung parliments. VOTE for IK
Musharraf should not have joined Politics nor should have he cobbled the zero sum political alliance. He could have changed the course of the country and would have done a lot as a dictator than as a democrat.
Good Luck Mr.Musharraf .
We want you
we NEED you
After his uniform Gen Mush has become a political orphan. Nobody is interested in adopting him. Not even the rightwing politicians and his friends of the past when he assumed power.
Musharraf's party APML has been clean bowled by Imran's PTI. Well bowled. If the APML is looking for an alliance with emerging parties, it will be an unmitigated disaster for the party entering into an alliance with the APML. Salams
lols ET is bent upon creating this alliance, I never heard such news from any other source but just ET. ET's two most favourite personalities are Musharraf and Veena. A person in his senses will not even consider Musharraf for alliance, By such reports ET is acheiving two objectives, first they can bring their hot boy Musharraf back into Pakistan and second they want IK out of politics
If Imran Khan can make an alliance with people like Shiekh Rashid, bringing back memories of supporting the dictator in 2002 just might force him to shake hands with Pervez Musharraf as well. Wouldn't be surprising if that happened anytime soon because IK has serious issues with keeping promises.
The Alliance would be the best thing for Pakistan and its People. Go for it.
Oh and as far as my memory goes, in the days of his rule he was in the forefront to condemn and ridicule this same party that he's so eager to be allied with now by calling it a tanga party and what not. pride sure hath a fall.
"Maan na maan, mein tera mehman." -Musharraf
Well at least he has SOME common sense, in Understanding that Imran and the PTI are the best for Pakistan. Even though PTI dont want to join hands with him. Which is fair enough. Considering his history
i dont think its a good move by PTI, they must have political alliance with any party in order to gain more seats!
This is 'that' good. Mushy can't say it wasn't coming. Oh the shame!
For god's sake, ET, rather than this lame news can u please, for once, report on something which actually has any real consequences for the future of Pakistan: PTI's intra-party elections!!! Make it as big a headline as u have made this nonsense u call news.
If PTI goes an alliance with APML Musharraf league it would be the last nail in its coffin leading to a compete catastrophe of a party that claims it self to be of change.
for the sake of Pakistan and to get rid of seasonal politician and to end the musical chair game of PPP & PML(N), this Alliance is must be put into place, regardless of any personal differences.
PTI it will most likely be a hung parliament. So if you want to form Govt who will you team up with?
It will be good for Pakistan, if it happens so.
Musharaf had played his inning.No alliance .
Am just waiting in amusement to see how long E.T. chooses to ignore the PTI internal party elections that were held over the weekend.