Over 85 PTI-backed winners join Sunni Ittehad Council

At least 86 of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates, who have won National Assembly seats from across the country, submitted their affidavits to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) about joining the Sunni Ittehad Council.

According to a statement issued by the PTI Secretariat, 105 lawmakers from Punjab, 85 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 9 lawmakers from Sindh have also submitted their declaration.

The decision to join SIC was taken by PTI founder Imran Khan in line with the strategy to get reserved seats for women and minorities in the National and Provincial Assemblies.

PTI candidates took part in the February 8 elections in independent capacity as the former ruling party was stripped of its iconic 'bat' symbol by the Supreme Court due to controversial intra-party elections.

The decision left PTI's electoral race in several challenges, including reserved seats for women and minorities.

However, PTI had forged an alliance with SIC in a bid to get quota seats, which will not be an easy task for the former as per constitutional experts.

According to analysts, SIC has not won any National Assembly seat even its chairman, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, contested the election with PTI's support. But, it is a registered party and anyone can join in.

Journalist Majid Nizami said that now the Sunni Ittehad Council will file an application in the ECP, saying it has these many MNAs and it needs its reserved seats list to be accommodated.

But, according to Nizami, If ECP allots reserved seats to SIC then the rival parties could take this issue to the court.

"Even though this should not be such a cumbersome process for the PTI," he added.