PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has become the single largest party in the country, which has strong presence and support in all the federating units, Fata, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, said its central leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi while speaking at a press conference here on Friday.

He said that other parties, including PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party, had been relegated to regional parties. He claimed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had been limited to a few pockets in Punjab.

Mr Qureshi said that same was the position of PPP, which had been squeezed to rural areas of Sindh, while MQM was restricted to urban areas of Sindh and Awami National Party had been limited to only three tehsils in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that PTI had emerged victorious in the recent local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Says PML-N, PPP have now become regional parties

Answering a question, he said that Qaumi Watan Party would decide about joining the coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In this connection, QWP parliamentary party would soon meet to decide its future line of action, he added. QWP had quit the coalition government in 2013 after its two ministers were expelled from the cabinet on corruption charges.

Mr Qureshi said that PTI had fulfilled its commitment to hold LG elections in KP and the new system would facilitate masses at the grassroots level. He said that the provincial government had allocated 30 per cent of the current annual development programme to the local governments and all powers would be delegated to lower level. He said that PTI had been waiting for the decision of judicial commission about rigging in the previous general elections.

Responding to a question, he said that PTI leader Dr Arif Alvi had tendered apology to Najam Sethi according to his knowledge and he (Qureshi) would not comment on it. He said that the Punjab government had failed to hold LG elections in the province after remaining in power for two years. He said that the PML-N leadership had a dictatorial mindset and believed in transferring powers only to the blue-eyed boys. He said that the public mandate was stolen from PTI during the last general elections and five per cent extra ballot papers had been printed in 71 constituencies of which PTI had pointed out 35 constituencies.

He said that PTI would establish an exemplary government in KP and on the basis of its performance would set up next government in the country.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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