PTI officially nominates Imran as prime minister

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership and MNAs-elect on Monday formally nominated Imran Khan as party candidate for the office of prime minister.

The high-level huddle of the PTI parliamentary party is currently underway at a local hotel.

It is also likely to pick the candidates for speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

The PTI claims to be enjoying the support of 125 MNAs which include at least nine independent members out of the total of 13. However, its tally reaches 174 with addition of its small coalition partners and reserved seats for women and minorities.

It will also get support from Balochistan National Party (Mengal) after which its total numbers in the National Assembly would reach 177.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), the Sindh based Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Awami Muslim League (AML) have allied with the PTI to help it form the new government at the Centre.

The PTI, which is now in a comfortable position to elect Khan as the next prime minister, is said to have also finalised the names of party leaders who will be part of his cabinet. The PM-in-waiting has already expressed the desire to have a smaller cabinet.

As per procedure, if a party has a clear majority or the magical number of 172 votes, it can easily elect the Leader of the House in the National Assembly.

The PTI emerged as the single largest party with 115 seats in the 2018 general elections but fell short of a clear majority in the 342-member house.

According to the Constitution, if the PTI chief manages to secure 172 or more votes in the first round, the president is bound to call him to take the oath as the country’s next prime minister.

In case, he doesn’t get the required number, then there will be a second round of voting between the top two contestants for the slot. In this round, the winner will not need at least 172 votes but the contender who gets the majority of votes will be elected leader of the lower house.